This journal article acknowledges the presence of Islam and campus and the presence of Prevent. Authored by Alison Scott-Baumann – who sits on our advisory panel at the People’s Review of Prevent – it calls for free speech as the answer to polarising conditions.
Published by the journal Education, Citizenship and Social Justice in July 2017, it argues that:
- The presence of Prevent universities is to create an ideology of fear around Muslims and Islam, and a policy of no-platforming creastes a utopian, idealised atmosphere that seeks to reduce dissent.
- Self-censorship and no-platforming are reducing the diversity of opinions expressed at universities, yet there is no evidence of illegality on campus.
- The free speech issue is the key to ‘Prevent’ which suppresses opinions that are different from the dominant
government narratives.