Legal scholar Maimul Khan was already in trouble with the Bangladeshi government for his outspoken criticism of its policies. But when he used the courts to resist the government's attempts to parachute four people into the university law department he chaired, things turned ugly.

"I got serious messages from the law minister that I was engaging in a very dangerous game," said the professor, adding that he knew of colleagues who had gone missing or died in strange accidents.

Khan is now 8,000 miles from home and a world away from the political dangers that forced him to flee Bangladesh. Once threatened for fighting for academic freedom at the Uni-versity of Dhaka, Khan is now exercising it at UC Davis as he teaches in the School of Law and writes a book on Muslim and black militancy.

He's the first endangered academic to come to UC Davis through a network of more than 70 universities and colleges that finds host institutions for endangered professors, and UC Davis was awarded one of the first five grants from a partner organization that helps pay the salaries of such relocated professors. Early in the winter quarter, the campus will explore establishing a formal program to assist other threatened scholars.

Two years ago, Dennis Dutschke, associate vice provost for international programs, and representatives from other universities and colleges established the Scholars at Risk Network. And the $15,000 provided by University Outreach and International Programs to pay part of Khan's salary helped leverage a $20,000 grant from the Scholar Rescue Fund of the Institute of International Education.

Intellectual integrity falls under fire

"From the beginning, UC Davis wanted to demonstrate its commitment to this important international program and provide systemwide leadership by establishing a UC Davis program," said Dutschke.

In the late 1990s, Khan's troubles in Bangladesh were compounding. "Most of the Muslim governments are not only undemocratic, they are thoroughly corrupted as well," Khan said. "Scholars with serious intellectual integrity are in the crossfire of corrupted secularists and religious fanatics."

In that dangerous situation, Khan left the country in 1998 to use his sabbatical for a yearlong Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In short order, he was told he didn't have permission to leave. Without legal grounds, Khan's sabbatical was canceled, and his salary and benefits were cut off. His job was in jeopardy, and he knew his life was, too.

"All this was shocking to me," said Khan, who did, in fact, have a letter authorizing him to leave the country. "I didn't know what to do. Once I had, for practical purposes, lost that position, then I didn't have any protection."

While Khan pressed his case for asylum in the United States, the University of Illinois could not employ him. At the professor's urging, however, the campus agreed to let him teach and pursue his scholarship without a salary. "I love teaching," he said. "I love doing research."

After being granted asylum in June 2001, Khan received a one-year appointment - this time with pay - at Urbana-Champaign. That summer, he came to UC Davis to study in the Master of International Commercial Law program, designed for foreign lawyers and legal academics.

• serendipitous meeting

Khan came to the attention of Beth Greenwood, executive director of international programs for the law school and chair of the same for UC Davis Extension. "It was serendipity," she said. "We got involved in a conversation.

"I knew we were interested in the Scholars at Risk program," Greenwood said. "Professor Khan, it turns out, was the scholar the program was most interested in placing. I said, 'Guess what!'"

Since June 2000, the program has received applications for assistance from about 235 professors in 63 countries and across 45 academic disciplines. It's been able to assist about 25.

Dean Rex Perschbacher said the law school is very supportive of the Scholars at Risk program, and it was natural for the law school to partner with UC Davis Extension to have Khan teach here. "For many years our faculty (members) have been involved in human rights initiatives," he said. "We are pleased to host Dr. Khan and greatly value the contribution that he is making to Davis."

Delving into Islamic political thought

• constitutional scholar - with expertise ranging from human rights to Muslim legal issues and the law and politics of the Middle East - Khan taught a fall seminar on law and economic development. In the new year, he'll teach a course on human rights and Muslim countries in the Davis and Berkeley law schools; for Asian American studies, he'll also teach a course on human rights in Islamic political thought and Muslim culture.

In addition to writing a book while he is here, he also has another book, "Human Rights in the Muslim World," forthcoming from the Carolina Academic Press.

Khan will complete his one-year appointment at Davis in June and expects to finish his studies in the law program this summer. He's searching for another appointment, and with a change in government in Bangladesh, he's working toward an eventual return to his country.

Meanwhile, Greenwood is looking at how UC Davis can assist other threatened scholars in a formalized program. Early in the new year, she'll draw together interested members of the campus community to discuss the issue.

Other aid options considered

In addition to hiring professors to teach, Greenwood said, the campus might help endangered scholars by sponsoring shorter visits and writing letters of support. She plans to establish an advisory committee to make recommendations on such activities.

Students themselves attest to the benefit of bringing scholars like Khan to UC Davis.

Gregory Gillett was in Khan's fall seminar. "Professor Khan brings an essential perspective to the study and interpretation of our course material as well as our analysis of current events," he said, adding that Khan has inspired him to broaden his understanding of the current international order.

"It's really interesting to hear right from him," said fellow student Kara Klatchko, "rather than having to open a book and read about his views. Khan has lead discussions about many different cultures, she said. "He has an incredible, encyclopedic knowledge of other countries," Klatchko said. "He really knows his stuff."

To participate in discussions about assisting endangered scholars, contact Beth Greenwood at bgreenwood@ucdavis.edu or (530) 754-5302.