Posted by NEWS on 6/8/2004, 15:03:18 Detaining the men, all of Asian origin, has prompted complaints in some Muslim circles that they are being unfairly singled out. Muslim leaders in the UK say the image of Islam is being tarnished. Inayet Bunglawala, from the Muslim Council of Great Britain, said: "This is the latest in a series of high-profile raids since 9/11 where a large group of mainly young Muslim men are arrested amongst massive nationwide publicity. "More than 500 people have been arrested and yet less than 100 have been charged. "There is now a growing bitterness in the Muslim community. "It seems the vast majority of these people are arrested amid very high publicity and yet when they are released it does not attract the same publicity." The problem is that these raids are continually creating an image which equates Islam with terrorism and acts of violence Massoud Shadjareh, Islamic Human Rights Commission Fewer than one in five of the more than 500 people - most of them Muslim - arrested under terrorism laws since September 11, 2001 have been charged with a terrorist offence, according to government figures. Mr Bunglawala added: "I think the police have a lot more to do in terms of working with the Muslim community and gaining their trust." Massoud Shadjareh, chair of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said: "The problem is that these raids are continually creating an image which equates Islam with terrorism and acts of violence. "The Muslim community is extremely law abiding. "There is a limit to how much they will be the target of Islamophobia." Yasin Rehman, of the Luton Council of Mosques, said the town's Muslim community were feeling persecuted by the second anti-terror raids in four months. "Muslims have been targeted and their lives have been tarnished," he said. He added that "in the last raids (in March this year) no-one was charged or convicted and it gives them the feeling they are being targeted."
UK Muslims react to terror raids
The vast majority of those arrested are released without charge
As police continue to detain a dozen young men arrested in anti-terrorism raids across the UK, Britain's Muslim community has reacted with dismay.
'Law abiding'
Message Thread:
« Back to thread