Hi,
this may be off our specific topic, but could have widespread
ramifications for our academic freedom, so I hope you'll excuse my
bringing it to you attention. Rizwaan Sabir, a masters student at a
university in central England (Nottingham) was detained for nearly a
week under British terrorism laws for attempting to print an al-Qaida
manual as part of the student's dissertation research. A staff member
who assisted him is under threat of deportation. The manual is from the
U.S. Department of Justice Web site. Sabir's academic adviser, Bettina
Renz, said that the manual was "obviously" part of her student's
research into Islamic extremism and added:
"If I was researching the subject very likely I would have looked at
this myself. The severity of the reaction is just mind-boggling to me,
to be honest."
Contact me off-list if you would like further information about the
campaign.
Best wishes,
Adrian Harris
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