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 Is it a crime to be a Muslim?
Using new powers introduced through the anti-terror legislation one man has been charged with the 'intention of committing terror acts' and 'three others are charged with intending to assist others to commit acts of terrorism'.
These arrests come on the back of high profile raids in the North West in April where 12 students were arrested by armed police under anti-terror powers. Despite finding no evidence whatsoever of any terror plot, 10 of the students, who are Pakistani citizens, were immediately rearrested under immigration powers following their release and detained in UK prisons awaiting deportation. Campaign website here
During the summer, over 60 Muslim men and women were arrested and charged with violent disorder following one of the largest demonstrations in London against Israel’s brutal assault on the Palestinian people six months previously. Most of these arrests did not take place at the demonstrations themselves but in a series of ‘dawn raids’ throughout the summer; one 15-year old boy, for example, was arrested after 25 police officers broke into his house at 4.30am, causing intense fear and panic to his family and neighbours.
At the same time we are seeing an increase in hate crimes against the Muslim community.
In the last two months alone we have had the desecration of Muslim gravestones on three separate occasions and racist anti-Muslim marches of the EDL with their 'no more mosques' placards in towns across the country.
Both Muslims and Non-Muslims are shocked at these attacks on a section of our community and see it as a direct result of the Governments failing policy on the “war on terror”. For many in the Muslim community this has become a “war of terror” as more and more of our civil liberties are being removed and Muslims feel they are being targeted just for practising their faith.
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