Terrorism Act: ‘They Asked Me To Keep
An Eye On The Muslim Community'
02 May 2011By Juan Cole
From The Guardian:
People from ethnic minorities are up to 42 times more
likely than white people to be the target of a
counter-terrorism power which allows the stopping and
searching of the innocent yet grants them fewer rights
than suspected criminals, official figures seen by the
Guardian show.
The power is contained in schedule 7 of the Terrorism
Act 2000, which allows police to stop people at ports
and airports for up to nine hours without the need for
reasonable suspicion that they are involved in any
crime.
But the rabbit hole goes deeper: MI5 officers are
randomly stopping brown people "without the need for
reasonable suspicion that they are involved in any
crime", then threatening to charge them with "crazy
allegations" that they are terrorists unless they
agree to become informants and spies. If these
allegations were true, why doesn't the MI5 ever charge
these people with a crime and give them a fair trial,
or at least a farcical military tribunal?
Here is the article, again from The Guardian:
Terrorism Act: ‘They asked me to keep an eye on the
Muslim community'
Asians tell of being targeted and cajoled by officers
from MI5 and special branch
Asif Ahmed, 28, describes how he was detained and
asked to spy:
Watch the video here
Just after landing at Edinburgh airport on 11 April
2010 Asif Ahmed was met by plainclothes officers and
taken away from his wife. He was about to turn from
model citizen into a terror suspect, one of 85,000
people who met a similar fate that year.
Officers met the couple just after they got off the
flight from Stansted and told them Ahmed needed to
come with them for a "normal check".
The couple were returning from a weekend break and
Ahmed saw no reason why he might be suspected of
anything. Indeed, after London was attacked by
terrorists in July 2005, Ahmed worked for the mayor of
London and in Scotland to improve relations between
Muslims and the rest of the population.
He was taken to a room by two officers who told him
they were from special branch, a police department
that deals in intelligence and security matters.
Ahmed, 28, was told he was being questioned under
schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
When he asked why, an officer replied: "No reason, it
is just a random stop." Ahmed told them they had
stopped the only two people on the flight who looked
like Muslims.
They said they did not know he was Muslim, which he
did not believe.
The officers Ahmed remembers were detectives – a
sergeant and a constable. They did not give their
names but did give their identification numbers.
Ahmed says he felt compelled to answer their
questions: "I had no choice, I was told I had no right
to refuse." He says the officers told him that if he
exercised the right to remain silent, he could be
detained further and eventually face jail.
Ahmed says he was questioned about his job, where he
prayed, the Muslim groups he was active in. He was
asked for a definition of extremism and what he would
do if he found out someone was going to carry out an
act of terrorism. He got the answer to that correct:
he would tell the police.
In another room his wife was questioned. She was upset
about being asked details about her sister, who was
seriously ill at the time. Ahmed says the policemen
interviewing him kept saying that he and his wife,
studying for a PhD in political science, were
"interesting people". Then one of the officers asked
if he would become a spy: "They asked if I would like
to work with special branch, to keep an eye on the
Muslim community in Edinburgh … They asked me three
times. They said do it covertly." He refused.
A similar scene played out at Stansted on 31 December
2007. Abdullah, a youth worker from east London, had
returned from a Haj tour in Saudi Arabia with a tour
group. "I was told that there was a problem with my
passport and two white men in dark suits approached me
and said that they needed to talk to me."
They were police officers and he was taken to a room:
"I was told that I had been stopped under
terrorism-related legislation … I was given a sheet of
paper that basically said that they were allowed by
law to do this to me and I needed to comply with
questioning."
He was asked about his family, how his trip had been
paid for, which mosque he prayed at and if he had "any
additional training or skills".
His mobile phones were taken away and searched. Then
his questioning was disrupted by the arrival of
another man, who said he was called Matthew, and a
woman. "They were casually dressed and took over from
the previous two men. They introduced themselves as
MI5. I was concerned why MI5 would want to speak to me
and listened attentively."
In a written statement Abdullah says the officers
quizzed him and said his "name had come up in circles
discussing terrorist activity and it was up to me to
prove where I stood. They wanted my help in tackling
potential terrorists and related activity".
He added: "They showed me some photos of a number
individuals. I knew most of them well as they were
friends and local associates. Some I didn't recognise
and one I wasn't too sure about.
"This was the one they pressed me on. They also wanted
details about the individuals that I knew, which I
provided. I tried to be as co-operative as possible
and in the end they took my number and left me theirs.
"Strangely, Matthew insisted that I save it discreetly
under work or taxi. I was then escorted out and was
free to leave."
Abdullah believes MI5 wanted to turn him into a spy.
"Matthew called me several times to arrange a
follow-up meeting. He said he wanted me to help him in
the work MI5 does. We had a phone discussion and I
said that I thought that what they were trying to do
was noble but I had reservations about the way in
which they operate on an ethical level and was
uncomfortable with that. He insisted that I meet him
and said that ‘it was in my long-term interest' to do
so."
A meeting was arranged for 22 January 2008 outside a
tube station.
"I was told to meet Matthew outside Farringdon station
but was directed by phone from there to a nearby
location and Matthew walked with me to a hotel."
He said he was asked about "my personal and work
details – past and present. I mentioned here that I
had visited Egypt in the summer of 2004 for six months
to study Arabic.
"I was asked about my future plans – I mentioned that
I planned to return to Egypt shortly to continue with
my Arabic and Islamic studies.
"He mentioned that he really wanted me to help him
with the photos. I said that I had already told him
what I knew.
"In the end Matthew said that he wanted to meet me
again but I wasn't so sure any more as I could see
that something was wrong."
Despite telling MI5 he was not interested, the barrage
of calls and texts pleading for a meeting just kept
coming.
After that "Matthew called me a few times to arrange a
further meeting. He gave me a mobile number (07522 055
947) but I decided that I didn't want to have any more
contact."
By mid-February Abdullah was fed up. "I texted Matthew
to explicitly say I wasn't interested in any further
contact and for him not to contact me anymore," he
said. "I also mentioned that if I did have any
information about any threat, terrorist or otherwise,
that I would naturally report it to the police. I then
called my phone provider and changed my number."
In May 2008, Matthew obtained the new number and
called again. He wanted information, which Abdullah
said he did not have.
But the MI5 officer, Abdullah alleges, made a threat.
"He said I needed to see him before I travelled to
Egypt, for my own good. Otherwise I would find it
difficult over there because they had ‘international
partners'."
Abdullah said: "He was threatening me – if I go to
Egypt, I might be arrested and ill treated. I took it
as a threat. They could have me arrested, and tortured
there. It was quite clear."
There is no independent evidence to support the claims
that police and MI5 are abusing schedule 7 stop and
search powers by trying to turn innocent people into
informers.
But there is a consistency of testimony from those who
have been stopped and pressured to inform.
Solicitor Alastair Lyon, who has advised dozens
affected by schedule 7, said: "This is a power which
has sowed fear in the most vulnerable of our
communities. The security services and special branch
are operating in an unregulated and unchecked way
without legal observers, to put pressure on people.
This is a legal black hole allowing them to question
thousands of people about very personal details
without any of the usual human rights safeguards." He
added: "It has created a legal black hole where
personal and sensitive information is, on pain of
imprisonment, forced from individuals who are told
that in effect they have no rights. It is a complete
abuse of authority."
For youth worker Mohammed, the link between his being
stopped under schedule 7 and other approaches is
clear. For a year security service officers tried to
recruit him, approaching him at home, in the street,
even as he ate at a tandoori restaurant. One of them,
called Jeff, showed him pictures of various people.
Then on 5 November 2008, he was stopped at Stansted
airport while returning from Spain and taken to a
room. Mohammed said: "Then Tim came in. [He] showed me
a badge and said he's from MI5. He spoke about Jeff.
‘He's been trying to meet me but you haven't
responded,' said Tim.
"He reminded me that he is working for my best
interest: he doesn't want this to come out, doesn't
want for my workplace to become dirtied, my reputation
– as if I've got something to hide and I've done
something wrong in the first place."
He added: "We know that you went to a terror camp,
transited in Dubai and changed passports. We know you
went to Dubai in 2006 and met AQ figures."
Mohammed said: "I told him these were crazy
allegations and how would they have this info anyway."
Tim said: "We don't need to go there ourselves, we
have info from locals."
Mohammed was let go with the promise that Tim would be
in touch. He did indeed call several days later, but
Mohammed did not reply.
Does this "Gestapo crap" remind anyone of this:
Amir Khan: ‘They took the p***
because I'm a Muslim'
Boxing star Amir Khan has hit out at US customs for
keeping him in a holding room for more than two hours.
Amir flew out to Los Angeles on Saturday to start
training for his next fight. But the Bolton boxer was
not happy at being held in a holding room and being
asked about his relatives. He tweeted:
"They took the £!@%*£ because I'm a Muslim. Kept me in
some holding room for over 2hours asking y my uncles
with me. They where so arrogant and unprofessional.
Didn't know how to talk to pple, well I'm out now an
it can't get any worse."
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EsinIslam.Com
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