The New Nation - Internet Edition

Elham Asaad Buaras

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 (see - Editorial The Muslim News, issue 229).

Politics student Rizwaan Sabir was arrested on May 14 along with Hicham Yezza, 30, under the Terrorism Act 2000. Both men were eventually released on May 20, although Yezza 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 was100% related to his studies," Dr Renz told The Muslim News. "The material is available on websites that are widely used on reading lists in the School of Politics," she said. It was in preparation for his PhD on radical Islamic groups.

His personal tutor was also annoyed about behaviour of the university authorities.

"Nobody tried to speak to him or to his tutors before police were sent in," she said. Dr Renz also added that he "actually missed one of his exams because of his detention." She was also convinced that Rizwan's Muslim faith contributed to him getting arrested, saying "it undoubtedly played a part."

Sabir's other lecturer, Dr Rod Thornton, also confirm the PhD student was engaged in research into Al Qa'ida. It would be no surprise if he accessed material related to Al Qa'ida's activities and the likes of Al Qa'ida's Training Manual is not hidden away," Dr Thornton told The Muslim News. "It is freely available on US government web sites."

Sabir's solicitor, Tayab Ali told The Muslim News, "This could have been dealt with sensibly if the University had discussed the issue with Rizwaan and his tutors. This is the worrying aspect of the extension of detention [under the Terrorism Act]. They can use hugely powerful arrest powers before investigating."

The University of Nottingham was unapologetic over its decision to call the police. "There is no reason why the material they had should have been part of their studies," spokesperson for the University initially told The Muslim News. But faced with a barrage of staff testimony contradicting their claim that material downloaded was irrelevant, the spokesperson later insisted that the police were involved because Sabir had forwarded the information to "a 30-year-old member of clerical staff, who was not connected with the research." The University seemingly failed to find out that it was emailed to the staff member to print because Sabir's owns printer was not working.

A spokesman for disgruntled student and staff Musab Younis said he was not surprised that the official statements from the University of Nottingham originally denied the material was for research purpose. "They fully co-operated with the police during this disgraceful affair in which many people underwent great distress," Younis said. He told The Muslim News that it should be borne in mind the police did not press charges. "This was after a huge effort to search their and their families' residences, confiscate computers and books, and question many of their friends," he said.

Student bodies also challenged the University's assertion that the investigation was "sensitively handled". Instead they insisted that during the investigation premises connected to them including campus property, were searched. A uniformed presence was in place at the University's main Trent building. "The police regularly attempted to collate information about student activism and peaceful campaigning. They asked numerous questions about the student peace magazine 'Ceasefire', and other political student activities," said Younis. A Nottinghamshire police confirmed to The Muslim News they had applied for a warrant to extend the detention before they were eventually released. "The judge was satisfied with the evidence presented and granted the extension," a spokesman said. The Department of Innovation, Universities & Skills (DIUS) and Home Office refused to comment on Sabir's case.

On May 28 academics had public reading of the research material that led to the arrests, outside the campus. The reading was followed by a silent protest where students and academics symbolically gagged themselves to object to the attack on academic freedom.

It is not the first time anti-terror laws have been misused. In 2007 four Muslim students from Bradford University were convicted of possessing extremist literature, but earlier in 2008 their convictions were quashed.

The Nottingham case has also sent shockwaves amongst other Muslim academics who fear being arrested for research. Maroof Shaffi, who teaches at Bradford College and is President of the Bradford branch of the Islamic Society of Britain, told The Muslim News the current climate of fear meant he had to reconsider doing a PhD on terrorism.

"I did some preliminary research which meant buying books on Jihad and terrorism. Most of these were purchased from Amazon and the thought did cross my mind a number of times whether I should alert somebody in 'authority' that these books were purely for research purposes."

Shaffi said a case like Sabir's led to concerns in the wider Muslim community.

"People have been arrested and then whole lives turned upside down - and then just let go because there was nothing there.

"There's a certain amount of paranoia developing around the community as a whole."

(Source: Muslim News, London)