Breaking: Terrorism Laws Used to Gag Academic Freedom
This just in from The Muslim News (surprise, surprise, this story somehow isn't fit for the Free Press):
UK: Terrorism arrests provoke outrage on Nottingham campus
23-05-2008
By Elham Asaad Buaras
London, The Muslim News OnLine:
The arrest of an academic and a student from the University of Nottingham for the possession of extremist material has provoked outrage on the campus after it was revealed the apparent offence concerned downloading information for a PhD, The Muslim News has learnt.
Politics student Rizwaan Sabir was arrested on May 14 along with a 30-year-old member of staff under the Terrorism Act 2000. Both men were eventually released on May 20, although the staff member was re-arrested on unrelated immigration issues. Students and staff alike branded the arrest an exploitation of anti-terror laws and stifling of civil liberties. Co-ordinator of Dissertation and Sabir’s personal tutor, Dr Bettina Renz, said that the material in question, an edited version of an al-Qa’ida handbook, was “easily accessible” and available on government websites. “The information he downloaded was 100% related to his studies,” Dr Renz told The Muslim News. “The information he obtained is available on websites that are widely used on reading lists in the School of Politics,” she said.
[follow the link above for more]...
UK: Terrorism arrests provoke outrage on Nottingham campus
23-05-2008
By Elham Asaad Buaras
London, The Muslim News OnLine:
The arrest of an academic and a student from the University of Nottingham for the possession of extremist material has provoked outrage on the campus after it was revealed the apparent offence concerned downloading information for a PhD, The Muslim News has learnt.
Politics student Rizwaan Sabir was arrested on May 14 along with a 30-year-old member of staff under the Terrorism Act 2000. Both men were eventually released on May 20, although the staff member was re-arrested on unrelated immigration issues. Students and staff alike branded the arrest an exploitation of anti-terror laws and stifling of civil liberties. Co-ordinator of Dissertation and Sabir’s personal tutor, Dr Bettina Renz, said that the material in question, an edited version of an al-Qa’ida handbook, was “easily accessible” and available on government websites. “The information he downloaded was 100% related to his studies,” Dr Renz told The Muslim News. “The information he obtained is available on websites that are widely used on reading lists in the School of Politics,” she said.
[follow the link above for more]...