"We made sure the Home Secretary was aware of the depths of anxiety and concern in our community,” Sacranie

LONDON, December 13, (Islamonline.net & News Agencies) – A few days after a delegation from the Muslim Council of Britain (MBC) met the Home Secretary and the Home Office Minister to express their concern about indiscriminate manner in arresting Muslims without charge, hundreds of London mosques' launched a protest campaign to complain the so called "war on terror".

In the Jumu`ah prayer, Muslims' Friday prayer, at London mosques, Muslims agreed on sending letters of compliant to David Blunkett, the Home Office Minister, to express their loss of human rights, according to British daily the Guardian Saturday, December 13.

The latest arrests brought the British Muslim community to a widespread sense of disquiet and alarm over the rough and indiscriminate manner in which anti-terrorism legislation is currently being applied.

Officials from the MCB expressed their concern to the Home Secretary, David Blunkett and the Home Office Minister, Fiona Mactaggart, during a meeting Tuesday, December 9, and a gathering of 500 community representatives called for action from the government to regulate the behavior of anti-terrorist officers.

The meeting, however, resulted in many positive outcomes, according to Secretary General of the MCB, Iqbal Sacranie.

They agreed on quarterly meetings with the Home Secretary to discuss issues affecting the British Muslim community as well as an undertaking from Blunkett to identify causes of concern about the way anti-terrorism legislation is applied, MCB website said.

"We made sure the Home Secretary was aware of the depths of anxiety and concern in our community about the abuse of anti-terrorism powers. This type of behavior is undermining years of constructive engagement between the government and the Muslim community," Sacranie said.

Anger aroused after recent arrest raids on December 2 under the Terrorism Act 2000. In that case officers are alleged to have been responsible for a series of unprovoked attacks and to have subjected a suspect to Islamophobic abuse, the Guardian reported.

Massoud Shadjareh, the chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, was quoted by the paper as saying: "The police force is behaving more like a vigilante force. Organizations have come together to say enough is enough."

The paper also quoted a spokeswoman for the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, Aafreen Khan, as saying that haphazard arrests resulted in ruining the lives of more than 400 British Muslim.

"Out of 500 arrests since September 11, only 77 have been charged and two convicted. That leaves 400-odd British Muslims who, through no fault of their own, have had their lives ruined with loss of jobs and local harassment. We are wondering whose son and husband will be next,” Khan added.

A Muslim's Ordeal

The Guardian, in its report Saturday, focused on the case of a Muslim, referred to by the paper as “suspect A”, who was one of four men arrested during a series of early morning raids, as highly symbolic.

The paper reported the suspect's story as he and his wife were awakened by a loud bang, six or seven officers burst into the room and held his arms aloft, as told by the 29-year-old.

"They were punching me in the head, on the back and on the legs. I must have taken about 30 strikes."

Despite making no sign to resist arrest, he said he had been pulled to the floor and only then did the officers seek to confirm his name.

"They told me I was being arrested under the Terrorism Act. I was completely shocked."

The suspect had never been arrested and said he initially thought the approach was normal. But then, he added, the officers began mocking his beliefs.

Quoted by the British daily, he went on saying that in a room set aside for prayer they allegedly broke candlestick holders. "They put me in the prostrate position we adopt when we pray". "They started laughing and asking, 'Where is your God now?'... I realized this was not an ordinary arrest."

He says the laughing continued as the officers pulled down his leggings to search him. He was then pulled outside to the van where he said the mistreatment continued.

"They laid me face down. One officer stood on my ankle and I took five or 10 punches to the back and kidneys. They were pulling and twisting the cuffs.

"Then, a few minutes into the journey, one guy put me into a headlock and squeezed until I was gasping for breath. He said, 'You will remember this day for the rest of your life'."

He added the abuse continued until he was in the police station. Three days later, when a doctor was sent to examine him in the presence of a police doctor, he was found to have injuries to his face, scalp, neck, chest, back, upper arm, elbow, forearm, abdomen, thigh and both feet. Tests found blood in his urine, according to the paper.

He and three other men arrested during the operation were released without charge after seven days.

No apology and personal effects taken during the raid had not been returned, the suspect solicitor, Muddassar Arani told the paper.

"This sort of behavior is alienating Muslim communities," she added.

"We hear a lot about these arrests but very little when these men are released, and nothing about the effect this has on their families."

A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed it had received a complaint but said no officer had been suspended. The case is expected to be referred to the Police Complaints Authority, the paper said.

Need For Co-operation

In a related development, the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has stressed the need for close cooperation between British government and Muslim community in order to combat elements behind spreading hatred and fright among the people.

Straw was speaking at an Eid reception jointly hosted by Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Muslim Council Thursday, December 11.

Earlier, about 400 people attended an angry public meeting at a west London Mosque Wednesday evening, December 10, to vent their frustration and anger at heavy handed police tactics and sensationalized media coverage that they say is fuelling ignorance and hatred of Muslims in Britain, according to al-Jazeera.net website.

The British Minister for Europe, Denis MacShane, was grilled earlier November 23, for telling Muslims in Britain they had to choose between democracy and terrorism.

"It is time for the elected and community leaders of the British Muslims to make a choice - the British way, based on political dialogue and non-violent protests, or the way of the terrorists, against which the whole democratic world is uniting," MacShane said earlier.  

The Terrorism Act 2000 outlaws groups considered to be terrorist in nature. To date, 25 international groups and 14 domestic organizations have been named.

The act allows police wider stop and search powers, and enables the police to detain a suspect for at least 48 hours in contrast to the standard 24. Custody can continue for up to seven days on the authority of a magistrate.