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Feature Doctors and Islamic State

Time for tighter checks on medical schools?

BMJ 2015; 350 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h3511 (Published 30 June 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h3511

Rapid Response:

Re: Time for tighter checks on medical schools?

Gardham’s analysis in ‘Time for tighter checks on medical schools?’ begins with questions about the teaching and entry standards of medical schools overseas - namely in Muslim-majority nations bearing the brunt of terrorism - and their accreditation by the General Medical Council[1]. On its own this argument may have merit, however Gardham’s attempt to link this as a material threat is unfounded and poorly constructed. The salacious insinuation of guilt in the article’s headline serves only to ostracise Muslim medics.

Not only is the solution of ‘tighter checks’ and profiling students McCarthyist in nature, the article conveniently omits the complex factors that can give rise to radicalisation: alienation, stigmatisation, foreign policy grievances, and deprivation to name a few [2]. Gardham recycles a tired negative stereotype that religious conservatism and practise is a vehicle for extremism. Research from the Behaviour Science Unit at MI5 says that a ‘well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalisation’[3]. Such was the one-sided nature of this feature that no effort was made to mention the thousands of devout Muslim doctors and students tirelessly working the NHS, contributing to civic society and supporting humanitarian causes. Gardham may have found it useful to reflect on a thoughtful piece by Prof. Simon Wessely following an attempted bombing at Glasgow airport in 2007[4].

If sentiments like these continue to perpetuate and remain unchallenged, they will subtly embed an association between Islam, fear and violence. It is disappointing that there was no editorial oversight to add any balance or nuance to a cover-page feature that will mark the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings and the attack in Tunisia. There is already a great deal of animosity towards Muslims; a recent poll suggested more than half of Britons see Muslims as a threat[5]. One would have thought the BMJ would have been able to see beyond giving neo-con, Orientalist views an uncontested platform. I look forward to the upcoming issues of the BMJ where positive contributions from Muslim doctors will be celebrated without being polarised through the prism of national security.

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[1] Gardham, Duncan. "Time for tighter checks on medical schools?" British Medical Journal (2015): h3511.
[2] Fraser, Giles. "It’s not the religion that creates terrorists, it’s the politics." Guardian. 27 June 2015. Accessed 4 July 2015 http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2015/jun/27/its-not-the-...
[3] Travis, Allen. " MI5 report challenges views on terrorism in Britain." Guardian. 27 August 2008. Accessed 4 July 2015 http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/aug/20/uksecurity.terrorism1
[4] Wessely, Simon. "When doctors become terrorists." New England Journal of Medicine 357.7 (2007): 635.
[5] Sommers, Jack. “7/7 Bombings Anniversary Poll Shows More Than Half Of Britons See Muslims As A Threat.” Huffington Post. 3 July 2015. Accessed 4 July 2015 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/07/03/77-bombings-muslims-islam-bri...

Competing interests: No competing interests

04 July 2015
Salman Waqar
Junior Doctor
Birmingham, UK