Staff of colleges refuse to spy on Muslim students
Teaching staff at various universities and colleges in Britain oppose the government order to report the activities of Muslim students who could be suspected of Islamic radicalism. The Department for Education and Skills has asked higher education staff to report about "suspects" in the classes as a mean to stem terrorism on campuses. The annual conference of the University and College Union (UCU) passed a motion against the government order. Supporters of the motion say though they would report illegal activity, they cannot act as detectives. The motion, put forward by university lecturers in London, warns that such a move would damage the trust between staff and students. In November, the government warned of the dangers posed by what it described as the serious threat posed by radical Muslims. However, many lecturers are unhappy about the role of monitoring, describing it as Islamophobia and a witch-hunt.
UK lecturers support Israel boycott call
Britain's University and College Union (UCU), comprising of university academics, voted in favor of considering a boycott of Israeli academics and institutions at its conference in Bournemouth on Thursday evening.