The Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC) UK, the UK’s leading Muslim Civil Liberties group, didn’t mince their words in this report on 23rd July 2010:
“After apologies and retractions for misleading, deceiving and lying to the Muslims of Birmingham, it seems the West midlands Police Authority (WMPA), have reverted to type, once again trying to deceive the Muslim community, by fixing an internal investigation.
“After apologies and retractions for misleading, deceiving and lying to the Muslims of Birmingham, it seems the West midlands Police Authority (WMPA), have reverted to type, once again trying to deceive the Muslim community, by fixing an internal investigation.
On June 4th, in a Public Meeting , ACC Sharon Rowe of West Midlands Police, declared that she would personally takeover and lead on ‘Project Champion’. An investigation would be started into how the clearly anti-Muslim, anti libertarian project could come about the way it did, funded by money from the Home Office fund (ACPO-TAM) Terrorism and Allied Matters.
A fact the Police tried to hide from the relevant council officials, councillors and the general public, so much so that they decided to proceed with the project, without consultation of the community that the CCTV cameras would encircle and intern.
However, in a twist of Machiavellian proportions, the person chosen to investigate the whole debacle, is none other than Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, Sara Thornton, who just happens to be Vice Chair of the Association of Chief Police Officers Terrorism and Allied Matters Committee (ACPO – TAM).
Fresh controversy and doubt has been thrown over the sincerity of the West Midlands Police, ACC Rowe’s apology, as well as her claim of a fair and independent investigation. Many in the community feel even angrier and even more betrayed. A resident of Sparkbrook said,
How dare they treat us like this, first they try to intern us and once they’re caught they cry their crocodile tears, apologise and just when we have breathed a sigh of relief, that our families and children won’t be spied on by the counter terrorism unit, they stab us in the back, by fixing the investigation. Never have I had lower regard and more mistrust of the police as I do now. Having been born and raised in this country, I am having to wake up to the reality that I am nothing but an alien, to be stigmatised, spied upon and tracked like some common criminal. I am disgusted at the betrayal of the Police and will never trust them, or give them any information in the future.”
MPACUK says enough is enough, how much longer can we as community be treated in such a manner? How much longer can we be cast aside by the Police? How much longer will we fail to engage and participate in the political process?
MPACUK asks all Muslims and non Muslims to lobby their mosques, councillors and MP’s to contact WMPA. To tell them of their disgust at the way an entire population of Muslims has been treated and the contempt and disregard, in which the so called ‘independent’ investigation is to take place.
MPACUK, applauds Green Lane Mosque for the progressive stance it has taken, regarding these cameras and inciting the believers to come out and take part in protests and demonstrations. MPACUK asks all other mosques and Imams to follow the lead of Green Lane and turn the moribund and dormant over 60′s clubs, knows as Masjids, into the heart of the campaign, to tear down these instruments of oppression and Islamophobia.”
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