Muslim cop, Police Constable Omar Basha, caused a storm in Britain a few weeks ago by managing to be excused from guarding the Israeli Embassy in London on "moral grounds. "
First picture of Muslim PC who caused a political storm
By BEN TAYLOR and LAURA ROBERTS
26th October 2006
PC Alexander Omar Basha
This is the first picture of the Muslim police officer excused from guarding the Israeli embassy on "moral grounds" after he expressed concerns over the bombing of Lebanon.
PC Alexander Omar Basha, 24, triggered a political storm when he was moved from his duties as part of Scotland Yard's Diplomatic Protection Group.
For the last three weeks, PC Basha has been living at a safe house in London after being granted special leave.
He was transferred from his post at the height of the war between Israel and Lebanon during the summer because of fears that his Lebanese relatives could be targeted if he was seen on TV.
It later emerged that PC Basha, 24, whose 20-year-old wife Dania is Lebanese, had his marriage "blessed" by preacher of hate Omar Bakri Mohammed - whose stepsister is Dania's mother.
Bakri conducted the service while under surveillance by Special Branch officers and MI5 amid fears he was inciting young Muslim men to commit atrocities.
Yard chief Sir Ian Blair is currently carrying out an inquiry into PC Basha's case - which provoked a fierce debate about political correctness in the Metropolitan Police.
There are claims that Muslim officers are being treated differently by Yard chiefs.
Yesterday Sir Ian urged politicians to avoid stirring up disorder in the debate about whether Muslim women should wear the veil.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner warned that "too many pronouncements from too many people" were not helping to defuse the row.
Bakri - preacher of hate and Al Qaeda sympathiser who was thrown out of Britain for justifying terrorist attacks against the country - blesseds PC Basha's marriage
However, Sir Ian also said that "dire warnings" of civil unrest were equally unhelpful.
The row over veils was sparked earlier this month when House of Commons leader Jack Straw said he asked Muslim women to remove their veils when they visited his constituency surgery.
It was intensified by the case of teaching assistant Aishah Azmi, of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, who was suspended for refusing to remove her veil in the classroom.
Speaking at the Metropolitan Police Authority, Sir Ian said: "We just need to hold our nerve a bit and stop too many pronouncements from too many people.
"Some of the very dire warnings that have been given are not particularly helpful either. We need to keep things very steady to be able to police a liberal democracy in very troubled times."
In a separate development, Sir Ian was also criticised over a decision to use the word "British Muslim" in a police document to describe a terrorist plotter.
The force used the headline "British Muslim Plotted Mass Murder in Terror Atrocities" about Dhiren Barot in its Operational Good News summary to authority members.
Barot, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder earlier this month at Woolwich Crown Court, after admitting plotting to murder people in terrorist outrages on both sides of the Atlantic.
But two MPA members criticised Sir Ian's force for using the phrase "British Muslim". Sir Ian said he agreed with them about the phrase and said it must have been "lifted" from somewhere.
"It should have been checked," he admitted. "I do agree with you."
However, Sir Ian later issued a statement in which he denied that he had now banned the use of the term as a result.
It follows a similar row earlier this month over whether the force had banned the use of the word "yobs" from police documents for fear of alienating young people.
Reader's comments
This is the result of wasting £450m of our money !
- Mick, Orpington
------------------------
What a joke. I think I will tell my boss that I can only do certain duties due to my religious beliefs.
- Steve Lee, marbella, spain
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As a tax payer I am fed up to the back teeth of paying out for people who enter professions which they know full well they cannot commit to.
- Al, Northampton - England
dailymail.co.uk
First picture of Muslim PC who caused a political storm
By BEN TAYLOR and LAURA ROBERTS
26th October 2006
This is the first picture of the Muslim police officer excused from guarding the Israeli embassy on "moral grounds" after he expressed concerns over the bombing of Lebanon.
PC Alexander Omar Basha, 24, triggered a political storm when he was moved from his duties as part of Scotland Yard's Diplomatic Protection Group.
For the last three weeks, PC Basha has been living at a safe house in London after being granted special leave.
He was transferred from his post at the height of the war between Israel and Lebanon during the summer because of fears that his Lebanese relatives could be targeted if he was seen on TV.
It later emerged that PC Basha, 24, whose 20-year-old wife Dania is Lebanese, had his marriage "blessed" by preacher of hate Omar Bakri Mohammed - whose stepsister is Dania's mother.
Bakri conducted the service while under surveillance by Special Branch officers and MI5 amid fears he was inciting young Muslim men to commit atrocities.
Yard chief Sir Ian Blair is currently carrying out an inquiry into PC Basha's case - which provoked a fierce debate about political correctness in the Metropolitan Police.
There are claims that Muslim officers are being treated differently by Yard chiefs.
Yesterday Sir Ian urged politicians to avoid stirring up disorder in the debate about whether Muslim women should wear the veil.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner warned that "too many pronouncements from too many people" were not helping to defuse the row.
Bakri - preacher of hate and Al Qaeda sympathiser who was thrown out of Britain for justifying terrorist attacks against the country - blesseds PC Basha's marriage
However, Sir Ian also said that "dire warnings" of civil unrest were equally unhelpful.
The row over veils was sparked earlier this month when House of Commons leader Jack Straw said he asked Muslim women to remove their veils when they visited his constituency surgery.
It was intensified by the case of teaching assistant Aishah Azmi, of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, who was suspended for refusing to remove her veil in the classroom.
Speaking at the Metropolitan Police Authority, Sir Ian said: "We just need to hold our nerve a bit and stop too many pronouncements from too many people.
"Some of the very dire warnings that have been given are not particularly helpful either. We need to keep things very steady to be able to police a liberal democracy in very troubled times."
In a separate development, Sir Ian was also criticised over a decision to use the word "British Muslim" in a police document to describe a terrorist plotter.
The force used the headline "British Muslim Plotted Mass Murder in Terror Atrocities" about Dhiren Barot in its Operational Good News summary to authority members.
Barot, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder earlier this month at Woolwich Crown Court, after admitting plotting to murder people in terrorist outrages on both sides of the Atlantic.
But two MPA members criticised Sir Ian's force for using the phrase "British Muslim". Sir Ian said he agreed with them about the phrase and said it must have been "lifted" from somewhere.
"It should have been checked," he admitted. "I do agree with you."
However, Sir Ian later issued a statement in which he denied that he had now banned the use of the term as a result.
It follows a similar row earlier this month over whether the force had banned the use of the word "yobs" from police documents for fear of alienating young people.
Reader's comments
This is the result of wasting £450m of our money !
- Mick, Orpington
------------------------
What a joke. I think I will tell my boss that I can only do certain duties due to my religious beliefs.
- Steve Lee, marbella, spain
------------------------------
As a tax payer I am fed up to the back teeth of paying out for people who enter professions which they know full well they cannot commit to.
- Al, Northampton - England
dailymail.co.uk
