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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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23rd January 2006

Press Release: UK – Serious Concerns on ‘Extremism’ Proposals for Campuses

The Islamic Human Rights Commission’s latest briefing, entitled, ‘You ONLY Have the Right to Silence: Muslims on Campus in Britain’ challenges current thinking on extremism on Campus.

Criticising the stance proposed by Education Ministers and the Glees / Pope report on universities, the briefing looks at how a proposal such as the interviewing of all foreign students in conjunction with MI5 upon their application to university, banning all faith societies and encouraging fellow students to spy upon each other, undermine academic freedom, implement racism as policy and go no way towards enhancing homeland security.

Briefing author Fahad Ansari said:

“We stand at the edge of a defining moment in British history. We could resort to a neo-McCarthyite hysteria and route out all dissenters starting with all Muslims regardless of their beliefs. Or we – and that includes government, the security community and academia, as well as minority and majority communities – can work towards a security discourse based on thorough and open research that makes the goal of a cohesive society its main aim. For the ethically minded, there really isn’t a choice except the latter.”

For more information, or further comment, please call (+44) 20 8904 4222, (+44) 7737181910 or (+44) 7958 522 196, email info@ihrc.org.

Notes for Editors:

1. You ONLY Have the Right to Silence: Muslims on Campus in Britain, can be downloaded from the IHRC website at:
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/file/YouONLYhavetheRighttoSilence.doc[END]

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org