CAIRO,
November 9 (IslamOnline.net) – British Muslims on Wednesday,
November 9, hailed the parliamentary defeat of a controversial
proposal in Prime Minister Tony Blair's anti-terror bill, saying it is
definitely a victory for human rights and civil liberties.
"Obviously
we are relieved that this proposal, which would have extended
detention of suspects without charge from 14 to 90 days, has been
defeated," Inayat Bunglawala, the spokesman for the main Muslim
Council of Britain (MCB), told IslamOnline.net over the phone from
London.
"No
doubt had this draconian measure been passed, the British Muslims
would have been at the receiving end of the proposal and the increased
police powers."
British
lawmakers on Wednesday rejected Blair's draft law to hold terrorism
suspects without charge for up to 90 days, voting instead for a
maximum 28-day period.
Blair's
controversial proposal was defeated by 322 votes to 291 in the lower
House of Commons, his first defeat on a legislative proposal in
parliament since taking office in 1997.
A
separate amendment to increase the current 14-day maximum detention
period for terror suspects was passed by 323 votes to 290.
"Had
it been adopted, it would have had negative consequences on UK Muslims
and contributed to their disinfection," Bunglawala added.
"We
would have supported any reasonable measure to help counter the threat
of terrorism in our country, but the government failed to justify why
the drastic increase from 14 to 90 days was necessary."
Blow
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"No
doubt had this draconian measure been passed, the British Muslims
would have been at the receiving end of the proposal," said
Bunglawala.
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The
vote came as a stinging personal blow to Blair's authority, said
Bunglawala.
"Of
course it is a more of a defeat to Blair himself than to the
Labour," he added. "Blair's moving, powerful and passionate
speech didn't work this time."
He
said the government was unable to get this measure adopted despite
their large majority in parliament.
"It
is he who insisted on this proposal though many Labour MBs wanted a
compromise to reach a cross-party consensus," said Bunglawala,
who also heads the government's Working Group on Extremism, one of
seven groups set up by the Home Secretary after the London attacks to
forge better inter-community links.
Blair
appealed personally to members of parliament to back him on the
detention proposal, citing what he had called a "compelling"
case made by the police.
The
Muslim activist further said that some MPs may have used this vote as
an opportunity to punish Blair for his "lies" on Iraq.
"They
vented their anger at the way they had been deceived by Blair on the
Iraq war," he said.
His
proposal was defeated with the help of 41 rebels from Labour. There
were dozens of abstentions in the 646-seat house.
An
election in May slashed Blair's parliamentary majority to 66, about
100 less than he has been used to, meaning fewer than 40 Labour
members can defeat him by voting with the combined ranks of the
opposition.
A
leaked government memo revealed in May that Blair had already
committed himself to a regime change in Iraq by force eight months
before the invasion-turned-occupation of the oil-rich Iraq.
A
survey by the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) showed
in September that most of the British Muslim students believed that
changing foreign policy would be the most effective way of reducing
the threat of terrorism against Britain.
A
further 62% believe that British foreign policy played either a
complete or major role in causing the London attacks.
Blair
himself said in July that the world must make progress on issues used
by terrorists as a reason for violence such as the Middle East
conflict, admitting that the Iraq war was used to recruit terrorists.
