The third film in the Human Rights Film Series at the Broadway Cinema is ‘The Edge of Heaven’ (Auf der anderen Seite) on Sunday 19th October at 6pm.

An intricately plotted, multi-layered drama, The Edge of Heaven moves from Germany to Turkey and back again, and captures the ways that a globalized world can break our hearts, and repair them, too.

The film will be introduced by Dr Alexander Vasudevan (University of Nottingham). The screening will be followed by a Q and A session.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Broadway Cinema. Student tickets: £3.

Moazzam Begg, bestselling author of “Enemy Combatant” and former Guantanamo Bay detainee, will speak at the University on the “War on Terror, Islamophobia and Civil Liberties”.

Hicham was invited on the 21st September to speak at this year’s Labour Party Annual Conference in Manchester. He appeared at a meeting on a panel alongside Nottingham South MP Alan Simpson, legendary politician Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn MP as well as prominent Trade Union leaders. The meeting was entitled “Do not let your mind become occupied territory” and was hosted by Labour Against the War.

Hicham spoke of his experience in detention as well as his current ongoing fight for justice. Alan Simpson described the audience’s reaction, saying ” [Hicham] had the whole room just in stunned silence when he talked through in very reasonable terms about the catalogue of ways in which he has been systematically sabotaged as a character”. He also expressed delight at the powerful effect Hicham’s contribution had had on those present.

During his speech, attended by a host of MPs and political journalists, Hicham argued that his and Rizwan Sabir’s arrests at the University of Nottingham in May had contributed to create a climate of fear amongst muslim students. The Nottingham Evening Post reported on the speech and later published a letter of response from the University which confirmed no muslim students had so far contacted the University authorities about their concerns.

[Read more →]

The latest issue of Impact Magazine - the official magazine of the University of Nottingham Students’ Union - debates the rights and wrongs of the arrests of Hicham Yezza and Rizwaan Sabir at the University of Nottingham in May.

The Debate
Published in News on 14 August 2008

What happened? On May 15 2008, two university members - a student and a member of staff - were arrested under the Terrorism Act (2000) because they possessed copies of the ‘Al-Qaeda Training Manual’ which had been downloaded from the United States Department of Justice website. An extended version of the same document is available for sale in book form on Amazon.com. The student, a member of the university’s Politics and International Relations department, was researching terrorism for his postgraduate studies and was being advised by a friend of his, who was a former student and administrative member of staff. Both men were held in police custody for six days before being released without charge.
The Terrorism Act (2000) stipulates that: ‘A person commits an offence if he possesses an article in circumstances which give rise to a reasonable suspicion that his possession is for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.’

Aimee Allam

Has academic freedom been attacked? Excerpts from the ongoing debate…
Yes
Professor Scott Lucas

This is not a question of ‘access (to) and research (of) terrorist materials.’ No page or picture frame or moving image is ‘terrorist’ in and of itself. It is how that material is used to fan the flames of division and hostility that can lead to acts of violence. The problem was never the typeset pages of Mein Kampf; rather, it was in the use of those pages to justify bigotry, racism, war and genocide… [Read more →]

Hicham’s legal case is still ongoing after a second hearing was held on September 3rd at Nottingham Crown Court. The hearing went well and a date for a “legal arguments” hearing and a trial has been set for the end of November 2008. In a positive development, the more serious of the two charges that the prosecution intended to bring against him has now been dropped. The judge also raised the matter of the public interest value of prosecuting Hicham, a point which has already been made by the Free Hich campaign and many members of the legal profession.

Following the hearing, Hicham was interviewed by local and national media about the progress and expressed his delight that the case was drawing nearer to a conclusion. He was also pleased that he was now having his day in court after initially being denied this right by the Home Office’s attempts to deport him.

Hicham continues to need urgent financial assistance with his legal costs, please donate generously if you can. (Details can be found here).

Following the sell-out last Sunday you are advised to buy tickets in advance for the screening of Standard Operating Procedure at the Broadway Cinema at 6:00 pm on Sunday October 12. The film is part of a series that addresses issues raised by the arrests of Hicham Yezza and Rizwaan Sabir at the University of Nottingham.

A documentary by the well-known film-maker, Errol Morris, Standard Operating Procedure focuses on the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib. Drawing on the now infamous photographs of abuse as well as interviews with American soldiers, the film raises important questions about the role and representation of torture during the war in Iraq.

The film will be introduced by Prof. Alex Danchev (University of Nottingham). The screening will be followed by a Q and A session.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Broadway Cinema. Student tickets: £3.

Camille Herreman who has been involved in the Free Hich Campaign writes in the latest issue of Impact Magazine - the offical magazine of the University of Nottingham Students’ Union.

Hicham Yezza - Is Justice Being Served?
Published in Features, This Issue on 14 September 2008

It was during the exam period this summer that Rizwaan Sabir and Hicham Yezza were arrested on campus under Terrorism Act 2000, and were held in custody for six days, before being released without charge. A document had been found on Mr Yezza’s computer: the ‘Al-Qaeda training manual.’

I first met Hicham ‘Hich’ Yezza as a fresher, during a meeting for the political magazine he edits; it was hard not to like him. At his editorial meetings he suggests thought experiments, teases incisive ideas out of his fellow writers and debates with flair. He often shares his knowledge of philosophy, literature, politics and art, commenting perceptively at any opportunity.

When he was arrested along with Rizwaan Sabir (another familiar face on campus) we had very little idea of where they had been taken and why. As the facts slowly seeped out, fear among his friends and many in the student population began to rise. Many among us are studying terrorism, or are Muslim, or hold strong political views. Our two friends, similar in their religious background, their peaceful political activism and their scholarly interest in international relations were suddenly to be criminalised and associated with one of today’s greatest crimes: terrorism. [Read more →]

Award-winning documentary maker Francesco Ragazzi will introduce two of his powerful short movies dealing with immigration issues in France and Italy. He will also talk about his new feature documentary (due for release in 2009) about the Free Hich Campaign.

Location: C50, Portland Building
Date/Time: Wed 8th Oct @ 6:30PM
Free Entry

Nottingham South MP Alan Simpson joined Hicham Yezza and Rizwaan Sabir at a meeting held at the University of Nottingham on 2 October to inform new and update returning students about their arrests and detention in May.

Alan SImpson said ‘… this is not just a university campus, in some ways it is the war zone and I say that with a sense of sadness more than accusation because those of us who were opposed to the war on Iraq … were arguing that amongst other things before very long the war would make its own way into our own stomping ground of cities and communities all round the UK and it would make its way into home turf by way of creating a climate of fear and uncertainty about the nature of the threat to our society.’

Rizwaan and Hicham then outlined what happened when they were arrested and detained, and reflected on how they now understand their experience. Listening to their speeches (use the links below) is a good way to find out about what happened at the university last May and the issues it raises.

Alan Simpson MP                    Rizwaan Sabir                       Hicham Yezza