Muslims protest against anti-terror raids and Islamophobia

London, Jun 12 (UNI) Muslims from across the United kingdom joined a protest against the recent anti-terror raids which wounded a man, at New Scotland Yard.

The rally taken out yesterday was attended by 14 Islamic organisations as well as several human rights groups and 250 individuals. Afternoon prayers were held at the police headquarters in the presence of 30 officers.

Protesters waved banners which called for ''Justice for Muslims'' and spoke of " rising Islamophobia", while some speakers called for the resignation of the Metropolitan Police chief, Sir Ian Blair.

Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23, was shot during a dawn raid involving 250 officers. His brother, Abul Koyair, 20, both from Forest Gate, east London, were arrested and held for a week before being released without charge after police found no trace of a chemical weapon at their home.

Sir Ian came under further pressure as more details leaked from the Independent Police Complaints Commission report into the killing of the Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station in south London last July. The report is due to be published within the next fortnight.

Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission and one of the organisers of the protest, spoke of the increasing ''criminalisation of the community'', highlighted by the Forest Gate raid. ''People who are innocent are shot,'' Mr Shadjareh said. ''People are stopped and harassed on a daily basis. There is a huge feeling of fear in the Muslim community and people are genuinely thinking they are going to be the next. And what is really worrying is that the Prime Minister said he was 101 per cent behind the shooting of an innocent person. That gives the impression the Muslim community does not have equal rights and are sacrificial lambs.'' Many speakers, including the Muslim Council of Britain's secretary general, Muhammad Abdul Bari, sent messages of support to protesters who were ''raising legitimate concerns in a peaceful manner''.

The two brothers arrested in the raid sent a message regretting they could not be at the rally due to the ''physical and mental injuries'' they had suffered. Their sister, Humeya Kalam, issued a statement on their behalf, to say the family had been through ''hell''.

Gareth Pierce, a human rights lawyer, said they would be launching legal action on behalf of the family for damages against the police commissioner.

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