Energy
2006-08-13 19:21:19 UTC
http://www.asianimage.co.uk/display.var.872236.0.police_chief_warns_of_youth_alienation.php
Police chief warns of youth alienation
By Asian Image reporter
The Police Service risked further alienating young British Muslims
unless more was done to tackle "institutional Islamophobia" in its
ranks say Islamic groups spokespersons.
The comments came after Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner
Tarique Ghaffur, called for an independent judicial inquiry into the
radicalisation of young Muslims in the wake of the July 7 London
bombings.
Massoud Shadjareh, chair of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said:
"It has been clear for a very long time that there is an institutional
Islamophobia in the implementation of stop and search.
Tarique Ghaffur, the country's highest ranking Muslim officer, said
Islamophobia in Western society had created a "generation of angry
young people" who were vulnerable to extremism.
In a keynote speech to the National Black Police Association conference
in Manchester, Mr Ghaffur said Britain, its police service and the
Islamic community had reached a "critical crossroad" in efforts to
prevent the "flight, fight or separation" of Muslims.
"The cumulative effect of Islamophobia, both internationally and
nationally, linked to social exclusion, has created a generation of
angry young people who are vulnerable to exploitation.
"The simplistic anti-western messages of extremist organisations can be
attractive to such vulnerable young people, advocating closed and
hostile views of other religions.
"We must think long and hard about the causal factors of anger and
resentment. In particular, we need to adopt an evidence-based approach
to building solutions.
Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim Council of
Britain, added, "Almost every Muslim family seems to know of someone,
somewhere in the UK who has been stopped and searched for no reason
other than the way they look or dress."
Police chief warns of youth alienation
By Asian Image reporter
The Police Service risked further alienating young British Muslims
unless more was done to tackle "institutional Islamophobia" in its
ranks say Islamic groups spokespersons.
The comments came after Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner
Tarique Ghaffur, called for an independent judicial inquiry into the
radicalisation of young Muslims in the wake of the July 7 London
bombings.
Massoud Shadjareh, chair of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said:
"It has been clear for a very long time that there is an institutional
Islamophobia in the implementation of stop and search.
Tarique Ghaffur, the country's highest ranking Muslim officer, said
Islamophobia in Western society had created a "generation of angry
young people" who were vulnerable to extremism.
In a keynote speech to the National Black Police Association conference
in Manchester, Mr Ghaffur said Britain, its police service and the
Islamic community had reached a "critical crossroad" in efforts to
prevent the "flight, fight or separation" of Muslims.
"The cumulative effect of Islamophobia, both internationally and
nationally, linked to social exclusion, has created a generation of
angry young people who are vulnerable to exploitation.
"The simplistic anti-western messages of extremist organisations can be
attractive to such vulnerable young people, advocating closed and
hostile views of other religions.
"We must think long and hard about the causal factors of anger and
resentment. In particular, we need to adopt an evidence-based approach
to building solutions.
Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim Council of
Britain, added, "Almost every Muslim family seems to know of someone,
somewhere in the UK who has been stopped and searched for no reason
other than the way they look or dress."