Title: Censorship at University of Nottingham
Author: Notttingham Indymedia + Academic Freedom
Image: nottinghamshire.indymedia.org.uk/images...
Tags: repression university education university_of_nottingham free_hich hicham_yezza rizwaan_sabir rod_thornton terrorism
Neighbourhood: nottingham university_of_nottingham
Last week,‘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. Dr Thornton has also been suspended.
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
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.”
