UK security laws alienating Muslims -top officer

LONDON, Aug 7: Britain should hold a judicial inquiry into why some Muslims in the country are turning to extremism, the UK's most senior Muslim officer is to say today according to a newspaper report.

Tarique Ghaffur, Assistant Commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police Force, will also warn that new anti-terrorism laws are alienating Muslims and criminalising ethnic minorities, the Guardian newspaper said.

In a speech to the National Black Police Association conference, Ghaffur will say that more work is required to understand why some British Muslims are turning to violence, backing calls for an independent review into the issue.

Survivors and relatives of the 52 people killed in suicide attacks by four British Islamists on July 7 last year have long demanded a public inquiry but the government has said it would be a distraction for the security services.

''We must think long and hard about the casual factors of anger and resentment,'' the Guardian paper said Ghaffur would tell the conference.

''In particular, we need to adopt an evidence-based approach to building solutions.'' Ghaffur would also warn that new security laws brought in since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States indirectly discriminated against Muslims and that stop and search powers were being used unfairly against people of Asian appearance.

''These practices tend to be based more on physical appearances than being intelligence-led,'' Ghaffur will say.

''There is a very real danger that the counter-terrorism label is also being used by other law enforcement agencies to the effect that there is a real risk of criminalising minority communities.'' He said it could mean such communities would ''retreat inside themselves'' at a time when the security services needed their trust and help.

Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei, also of London police, said it was time to assess what impact events in the W Asia, anti-terrorism laws and social disadvantages had on radicalising young Muslims.

''That's why Mr Ghaffur is saying, let's look at an inquiry, let's find out whether this is actually taking place and if it is what we can do about it,'' he told BBC radio.

Reuters