Varsity (via) reports that the second year Cambridge student who, as guest editor of Clareification, published one of the Muhammed cartoons is back in Cambridge. After the student magazine in question had been published, he was forced into hiding for safety reasons.

The magazine has provoked reaction among members of the Muslim community. Hicham Kwieder, Chairman of the Mosque Committee at the Abu Bakr Siddiq Islamic Centre in Cambridge, wrote to Varsity expressing “sorrow and anger” on behalf of the Committee and congregation. He noted the publication of “material which deliberately insults the honour of the Blessed Prophet Mohammed”, stating that “the Mosque condemns this provocation in the strongest terms”. He added “Incitement to religious and ethnic hatred is at all times immoral, and its consequences for harmony between communities and nations can be grave”.

The last sentence here is interesting for two reasons. Firstly, Kwieder disingenuously conflates religious criticism with religious hatred, and then conflates religious hatred with ethnic hatred. And then comes the veiled threat about “consequences for harmony between communities and nations” being “grave”.

Clare College has courageously disassociated itself from the views expressed in Clareification and has announced that disciplinary measures are under way. Acting Senior Tutor Dr Patricia Fara has also said that the institution “has been in close contact with leaders of the local Muslim Community, and also with other religious leaders, to apologise for the offence that has been caused”.

None of these apologies are warranted and the student in question - who hasn’t threatened anyone - deserves the support of the college, not disciplinary proceedings.

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