Update on PREVENT
Posted 111 Months Ago
So the chances are, if you’re reading this you either know a bit about PREVENT, you’ve heard it in passing or you have no idea what it even is. If it’s the latter, you can check out Sahara’s blog here where she explains why our Student Union is leading the way in Scotland in non-compliance and the fight against PREVENT.
Today is the national Day of Action against PREVENT and also the 2nd day of Islam Awareness Week. It has truly been a splendid and informative week, but saddening as well, that the celebrations of this week had to be overshadowed by the need to demonstrate that Islam is in fact a religion of peace.
Last night at a meeting of the Student Unions Executive, your officers were given a talk from the University’s Director of Governance & Legal Services on how the University would be rolling out and complying with the PREVENT Duty imposed by the government. Under the Duty, all staff will now be given training on “vulnerable” groups who present signs of radicalisation as well as training residence staff on what to do if they find items, objects and paraphernalia of a sensitive nature, as (loosely) defined by the Counter Terrorism and Security Act.
PREVENT also places a duty on the University to vet external speakers, which includes, speakers invited by autonomous societies within the Student Union. As an independent charity and an organisation who has taken a firm and strong stance on PREVENT, let me reaffirm that the Student Union and its officers will continue to oppose PREVENT. The Student Union has for many years exercised its Safe Space policy and will continue to do so without the need for university administration or involvement. Our fight is not with the University. Let’s be very clear that this is a direct opposition to the government’s attempts to stigmatise Muslim communities, which allow for the perpetuation of racist stereotyping.
The University has repeatedly expressed their wish for “partnership” with members of the Muslim community when shaping the PREVENT policy. However we understand that the information given to those affected has not always been in the most useful or accessible format.
I commend the Director on reminding us that the threat of terror level to Britain is extremely high and on the importance of countering terrorism related activities, however let us also remind ourselves that the levels of personal attacks experienced by the Muslim community in the UK is at an all time high. Let us also remind ourselves that now more than ever, black people are dying at the hand of the government through state fuelled violence whether that includes Police brutality or dying in custody. Right winged media and the current government should not detract from us being able to see what is at our doorstep.
After the attacks in Paris, did you know that there were attacks against our own Muslim students, colleagues and friends in the City of Edinburgh? Did you know that threats were made against Muslim students on our campus? Did you know that a Muslim girl at our university was verbally and physically assaulted for wearing her Hijab in the city? Most probably not. But why?
PREVENT and CONTEST talks a lot about “British Values” and so the Director mentioned that as part of the implementation of PREVENT, a senior management team would be organised and trained on dealing with the prospects of media exposure should a Heriot-Watt student now or 30 years down the line become involved in terrorist related activities. Perhaps, from these very British Values I can offer the University’s Senior Management some advice, or a different perspective- perhaps we could set up a welfare working group, which given the current plight of black and Muslim students, works to ensure we have the funding and mechanisms in place to offer students affected by such hate crimes support, counselling, security and accommodation when all they are trying to get is an education.
I would like to challenge the University to invest in students, invest in student support services and invest the Student Union- who are spread so thinly due to lack of support, resources and staffing. When we budget millions of pounds to redecorate the University’s Main Reception, we must ask why we don’t have any active support services and provisions for students affected by these hate crime or students who are waiting +3 weeks for counselling services.
PREVENT will create a relationship of suspects and informants between lecturers and students but let’s be clear that students are not suspects and lecturers are teachers not spies.
This Union, your Union, however, remains strong and united in the fight against PREVENT.
We will continue in our stance against PREVENT and will engage with the University on how they too limit compliance in their activities. We will not be excluded from the decision making table. We will work with our allies and comrades from UCU, NUS and the sector to campaign nationally for the government to rescind this racist policy. NOT IN MY NAME, NOT ON MY CAMPUS.
In unity and solidarity,
Rahul Singh
Black Students Officer
NUS Scotland Black Students Committee
NUS UK Disabled Students Committee
#PREVENT #HeriotWatt #HWUnion #NUS #UCU #UCUScotland
