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Tue 13 Jun, 2006 04:54 pm
This article from The Houston Chronicle tells the basic story of the June 2nd raid in London.
Quote: LONDON ?- A 23-year-old man shot by police during an anti-terrorist raid said Tuesday he thought he was being attacked by robbers until he was dumped on the sidewalk outside his London home and saw a police van.
Mohammed Abdul Kahar and his brother, 20-year-old Abul Koyair _ both British-born Muslims of Bengali origin _ were interrogated for a week before being released without charge.
Amid growing criticism, the police made the unusual move of apologizing for "the hurt we've caused" when the two brothers were released without charges, after being held for a week--
as one can read in this article from The New York Times.
This article from The Sunday Herald is an editorial piece on how "the Met [i.e., the Metropolitan Police] got it wrong."
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Does the fear of terrorism justify any means? Do the police go too far? Is this sort of operation a justifiable price to pay for security?
I've been saying, ever since the outset of the first gulf war, that a huge block of the world's people have an extremely deep-seated need to kick Arab ass, and any Arab will do in a pinch.
or in this case, non-arab (bengali) muslims
Thay get lumped together anyhow.
It is sad.
As an asian in UK - I don't feel safe anymore - even arnd the police.
I think you're right, EB, there is a lot of hatred, and those who hate don't particularly care whom they hate. I long lived in or near Columbus, Ohio, which has the largest Somali community in the United States. After September 11th, there were many incidents of hatred expressed toward the Somalis, who, of course, had nothing to do with the terrorists, and no connection to al Qaeda. Many people in Africa and the middle east send money home by means of an informal network which has been around for centuries. They will go to a shop and give cash to the shop keeper, who then telephones a relative at home, and that relative gives the equivalent of the sum of money in the local currency to the family of the person who first took the cash to the shop. They've been doing this forever, but immediately after September 11th, one of the Somali men in Columbus who had been doing this for years was arrested on a charge of laundering money for terrorists. It took him more than two years to clear his name, and it cost him thousands of dollars. The fact that he is Muslim, and that he sends money to Somalia was enough for the Feds to crawl all over him.
Prince, i completely understand your attitude. You have my genuine sympathy. Given that you once used Gautam as your screen name, am i correct in assuming that you are, nominally at least, Hindu and not Muslim?
Setanta wrote:....
Prince, i completely understand your attitude. You have my genuine sympathy. Given that you once used Gautam as your screen name, am i correct in assuming that you are, nominally at least, Hindu and not Muslim?
Yes. But you can't tell by looking at me
As far as an average brit is concerned, I am just another brown asian !!
And that's precisely the problem, innit?
Setanta wrote:And that's precisely the problem, innit?
Precisely mate !!
Do you think I should move to Canada?
There has been a good deal of ruckus in Canada of late because of the arrest of 17 men and boys alleged to have been involved in a bombing conspiracy. What stands out about the response in Canada is that there has not been (noticably) an anti-Muslim response. That is not to say that there are not bigots in Canada, i have no doubt that there are. However, the general tenor of the public response has been some nervousness, but a continued commitment to the ideals of multiculturalism. Some windows were smashed in a mosque, and it was widely condemned. By and large, the social imperative among the Canadians seems to be tolerance.
Re: BUNGLED RAID IN LONDON
Setanta wrote:the police made the unusual move of apologizing for "the hurt we've caused" when the two brothers were released without charges, after being held for a week--
Well, thats one thing they got over the Americans: those will release people from Guantanamo, or some Afghan prison they were kidnapped to (Khalid El-Masri), without charges after many weeks or
years, and still not apologise.
In yesterday's (London) Evening News (print edition, West End Final, frontpage and pages 4 + 5), some articles from a news conference were published:
Quote:With his right arm still strapped up, his physical wounds are still obvious. But the mental scars were only too apparent as well ?- he spoke almost in a whisper, barely able to lift his eyes above the table where he sat with his brother Abul Koyair, their lawyers and supporters.
At times the emotion was so raw that he had to stop talking as tears welled up in his eyes. After more than a week of briefing and counter-briefing, this was the first time the brothers themselves had spoken fully and openly about the events of 2 June.
His words were powerful: then, at the prompting of one of the journalists in the room, he demonstrated the exact spot on his chest where he had been shot.
With the finger of his good hand he pointed to an area around his right nipple: because he had been coming down the stairs at the time, the bullet travelled upwards and came out at the top of his shoulder. The angle of the shot is the only reason that he is alive to tell his story.
Abul told his story with a touch more confidence than his older brother, but whenever he looked across at Mohammed it was with a look of undisguised affection and respect.
He described the bang, his brother falling to the ground, then being hit by a police officer.
"I kept thinking to myself, ?'why did they not shoot me instead?'"
However extraordinary their testimony, in these times of suicide bombers in London no one was going to let the brothers have an entirely easy ride. Did they believe in a Jihad? One journalist asked. Mr Abdulkayar said that his father had taught him that the word meant the way Muslims strive to help people. "Violence is not in my nature," he said. "It is not in my religion. Islam has got nothing to do with that. Islam is peace."
He added "I was born and bred in east London. I love my town. I've been here my whole life. This is my country. I love everyone around me."
The three brothers arrested all had long beards and shaven heads. That justifies of course 250 police raiding the area, setting up an air exclusion zone over e London !bursting into the premises at 4 am, sticking guns in peoples faces and shooting one man in the shoulder. The three men were questioned about their beards, (one on a morphine drip for the bullet injury) and released. Police have apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Honestly, in the famous words of Richard Littlejohn tabloid hack for the Sun
you could not make it up[/i]
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