London, Mar 23, IRNA — The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (Fosis) are advising students of their legal rights following disclosure that universities have been illegally providing counter-terrorism police with personal details.
“Universities and students unions have an obligation to uphold the rights of their students to the best of their ability,” said Fosis, which represents over 90,000 Muslim students in the UK and Ireland.
“This includes refraining from disclosing their personal data to third parties in the absence of a warrant obliging them to do so or without their prior consent,” it said in issuing guidelines to students.
“This not only undermines trust and promotes a climate of fear on campus but it is also irresponsible and illegal,” the guidelines warned, according to a copy obtained by IRNA.
The advice comes after The Muslim News exposed that the Students Union at University College London (UCL) contravened many of the principles of the 1998 Data Protection Act when handing over membership information of Islamic Societies to police.
Police were carrying out investigations following the alleged bombing plot at Detroit airport on Christmas Day planned by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was a former president of UCL’s Islamic Society.
Last week, James Hodgson, UCLU Student Activities Officer, admitted “mistakes were made” when mobile phone numbers and email addresses of Islamic Society and Medical Islamic Society members were released to Anti-Terror Police, without a legal requirement to do so.
“It is now a UCLU policy not to release data, unless it is legally binding to do so,” Hodgson said after issuing an apology to Muslim students.
Fosis said that it sympathises with the security services in their grave task of ensuring the safety and security of the UK and would continue their proactive dialogue with them.
“However, the responsibility and goodwill applies to all parties including upon universities, students unions and the security services,” it said.
“Universities should be safe zones for students to engage and debate various (even highly controversial) issues so long as they do not contravene the law,” its guidelines said.