Counter-Terrorism Student Reads Book About Terrorism, Gets Treated Like Actual Terrorist

In an apparent effort to beat Texas at their own preposterously offensive game, Staffordshire University in England is now embroiled in their own scandal of baffling incompetence. Mohammed Umar Farooq, who was enrolled in a master's course on counter-terrorism and global security, was spotted reading a book reportedly entitled Terrorism Studies in the campus library by a university official. Instead of simply assuming that someone reading a book in the library might simply be there for the sole purpose of reading a book in the library, the official then reported Farooq to campus security.

"I could not believe it," Farooq tells the Guardian. "I was reading an academic textbook and minding my own business. At first I thought I’d just laugh it off as a joke [but] the implications if I did not challenge this could be serious for me. I could go on a police list, I could be investigated without my knowledge. This could happen to any young Muslim lad. I had to fight back." The incident, which occurred in March of this year, eventually inspired Farooq to drop out of the course. Sadly, such grave mistreatment appears to be becoming a bit of a trend all over the globe.

Following "three months of investigation," Staffordshire formally apologized to Farooq for the incident, adding that they never outright accused the student of being a terrorist, but simply harassed him without a direct accusation. "We have apologized to Mr Farooq and are in dialogue with him on how we can support him to continue his studies with us," says Staffordshire's academic registrar Noel Morrison. "In light of recent legislation, we are ensuring all staff at the university have the right guidance and training."

Do better, Staffordshire (unless, of course, you're really into this whole idea of becoming England's version of MacArthur High School).