Censorship at University of Nottingham
Published:
May 07, 2011 16:37
by Nottingham Indymedia + Academic Freedom |
Neighbourhoods: nottingham university_of_nottingham
Published by group:
Notts Indymedia
Last week, an article entitled, ‘Radicalisation at universities or radicalisation by universities?’ by University of Nottingham academic Rod Thornton was published, shedding more light on the case of the “Nottingham Two”. This article has now been removed from the website of the British International Studies Association (BISA) allegedly under pressure from the University, who have also now suspended Dr Thornton.
Upcoming Event: Protest calling for the reinstatement of the whistleblower and a public inquiry, Hallward Library, University Park, Thursday May 12th, 12pm
On the newswire: University whistleblower suspended | ‘Al-Qaeda Arrest’ Whistleblower Silenced
Previous features: New light shed on the Nottingham Two | Campaign Victories As Hich And Amdani Are Released On Bail | Hundreds Join Demo for Academic Freedom and Against Deportation | Nottingham Uni Detainee Innocent But Still Facing Deportation | Anger Over “Terror Arrests” at Nottingham University
Article: Executive summary | Full article
Dr Rod Thornton was suspended on afternoon of May 4th by Nottingham University for exposing how the university caused the arrest of two innocent men as suspected terrorists. The new whistle-blowing report from Dr Thornton – ‘How a student’s use of a library book became a “major Islamist plot”’ – exposed how senior University management reported the men and undertook a subsequent campaign to discredit them for being in possession of three publicly available documents, all available from the university’s own library.
A letter written by Vice-Chancellor David Greenaway, was hand-delivered to Dr Thornton and ordered him to vacate his office. The Vice-Chancellor wrote: "the decision has been taken to suspend you until further notice … [because of a] … breakdown in working relationships with your colleagues caused by your recent article prepared for the British International Studies Association Conference.” Dr Thornton, said: “I am very saddened by the university’s behaviour".
Rizwaan Sabir, one of the men originally arrested, said: "Dr Thornton’s article proves that university management singled me out for differential treatment, despite my innocence. It is apparent that they and certain staff attempted to undermine my future at the university, perhaps because I would have been a constant reminder of their anti-terror cock up! The findings of this research, along with Nottingham’s attempts to censor it, are damning. Such cavalier behaviour should not be tolerated in British academia. I call on the government to launch an independent public inquiry into the conduct of the university."
Comments
Legal threats
Published: May 10, 2011 23:49
by
Andy
Liberal Conspiracy blog had an article on this up today, initially including a download link to the full paper. However it has since been pulled with no explanation
still there
Published: May 11, 2011 16:48
by
tash
i just have a peek on that website .... and its still there. second para down.
My mistake...
Published: May 11, 2011 17:27
by
Andy
How odd, sure it wasn't there last night. They did have it embedded into the article but seems they've downgraded it to a link.
The site owner told me he'd been talking to some of the profs who'd got it taken off the BISA site.
List is growing
Published: May 11, 2011 20:00
by
tash
Call to reinstate terror academic
The Guardian, Tuesday 10 May 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/may/10/call-to-reinstate-terror-academci
We write as academics deeply concerned by the suspension of Dr Rod Thornton, a lecturer in counter-terrorism in the school of politics and international relations at the University of Nottingham (Report, 4 May). We understand that Dr Thornton's suspension is the result of a whistle-blowing investigative research paper that was presented at the annual British International Studies Association conference and subsequently published on its website. In his research, Dr Thornton carefully details what appear to be examples of serious misconduct from senior university management over the arrest of two university members (The "Nottingham Two") under the Terrorism Act 2000 in May 2008.
The two men were never charged with a terrorism-related offence, and their arrests were perceived as being indicative of a growing tide of Islamophobia. Dr Thornton's research paper provides apparent confirmation, notably through internal communications obtained via the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts, that university management and senior academics colluded to paint the two men in a negative light despite no evidence of wrongdoing. The claims he makes are very serious and should be subjected to a full and proper inquiry: they cannot be ignored.
We call for the immediate reinstatement of Dr Rod Thornton and call on the University of Nottingham to openly and thoroughly examine the claims made in his research. We also request that an independent inquiry be conducted into the university's actions on this matter.
Prof Noam Chomsky MIT
Prof Paul Gilroy LSE
Dr Karma Nabulsi Oxford
Prof Charles Tripp SOAS
Prof Neera Chandhoke University of Delhi
Prof Michael Burawoy University of California, Berkeley
Prof Patrick Bond University of KwaZulu-Natal
Prof David McNally York University (Toronto)
Prof Bill Bowring University of Essex
Prof John Harriss Simon Fraser University (Canada)
Prof Neil Smith City University, New York
Dr Norman Finkelstein
Prof Joyce Canaan Birmingham City University
Prof Richard Keeble University of Lincoln
Prof Scott Lucas University of Birmingham
Prof David Miller University of Strathclyde
Prof Ian Parker Manchester Metropolitan University
Prof Scott Poynting Manchester Metropolitan University
Prof Lucy Suchman University of Lancaster
Dr Bernard Sufrin Oxford (Worcester College)
Dr Laleh Khalili SOAS
Dr Rahul Rao SOAS
Dr Tufyal Choudhury University of Durham
Dr Polly Pallister-Wilkins SOAS
Dr Mark Laffey SOAS
Dr Corinna Mullin SOAS
Dr Arshin Adib-Moghaddam SOAS
Dr Kate Tunstall Oxford (Worcester College)
Dr Alf Nilsen University of Bergen
Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh Oxford (Balliol College)
Dr Eddie Yuen San Francisco Art Institute
Dr Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed University of Sussex
Dr Tim Jacoby University of Manchester
Dr Laurence Cox National University of Ireland
Dr Jairus Banaji SOAS
Dr Ole Johnny Olsen University of Bergen
Dr Bhabani Sshankar Nayak Glasgow Caledonian University
Dr Rupert Read University of East Anglia
Dr Subir Sinha SOAS
Dr Neil Davidson University of Strathclyde
Dr Arun Kundnani London Metropolitan University
Dr Rashmi Varma University of Warwick
Dr Michael Edwards UCL
Dr Timothy Jones University of Glamorgan
Dr Jessie Blackbourn University of Salford
Dr Steve Hurst Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Steve Hewitt University of Birmingham
Dr Nisha Kapoor Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Jodie Chapell University of Lancaster
Dr Jack Nye Open University
Dr James Brown University of Cambridge
Dr Nicola Pratt University of Warwick
Dr Carlos Frade University of Salford
Dr Sherifa D Zuhur Strategic Studies Institute, United States Army War College
Dr Alex Dennis University of Salford
Dr William Dinan University of Strathclyde
Dr Piers Robinson University of Manchester
Dr Peter Bratsis University of Salford
Dr Helen Dexter University of Manchester
Dr Peter Waterman International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague
Dr Aggie Hirst Liverpool Hope University
Dr Max Farrar Leeds Metropolitan University
Dr Elena Vezzadini École des hautes études en Sciences Sociales
Dr Giselle Vincett University of Edinburgh
Dr Betty Hagglund University of Birmingham
Dr Gary Fooks University of Bath
Dr Mahmood Delkhasteh
Latest articles feed
progress in the media today
Call to reinstate terror academic - Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/may/10/call-to-reinstate-terror-academci
Academics publish letter in defence of professor - Nottingham Post
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/education/Academics-publish-letter-defence-professor/article-3538329-detail/article.html
&&&&&&&&&&&
this is the article in question:
Radicalisation at universities or radicalisation by universities?:
How a student us use of a library bookbecame a “major Islamist plot”
http://www.scribd.com/doc/54150076/THE-ARTICLE-NOTTINGHAM-UNIVERSITY-DOESN-T-WANT-YOU-TO-READ-Radicalisation-at-Universities-or-Radicalisation-by-Universities-How-a-Students-Use-of-a