UK: Muslim police union says it supports anti-terrorism strategy

UK: Muslim police union says it supports anti-terrorism strategy

Following reports that the British Muslim police union accuses anti-terror strategy of stigmatising Muslims, the NAMP put out a press release (PDF). Meanwhile, former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police criticizes the NAMP and says they should be warning of the dangers of extremism instead.

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The National Association of Muslim Police (NAMP) have had a history of working with the Police Service and the Home Office. We wrote in confidence to the Home Affairs select committee expressing few concerns in relation to some of the delivery methods of the Prevent strategy. We are deeply disappointed that this has been made public. However, in clarification we make the following points:


• We fully support the Government CONTEST strategy and have been working tirelessly with the Police service and with the communities to ensure that the strategy serves its purpose.


• It is important for the police to service to deal with extreme right wing elements in the same manner that it deals with the Muslim extremism.


• The Police Service needs to gather and coordinate intelligence on far right organisations more affectively.


• NAMP continue to be disappointed with the lack of Muslim Police Officers in the Counter terrorism command and we ask the Police service to actively pursue all positive action avenues to recruit more Muslim Officers in the Counter terrorism commands.


Finally, we are extremely pleased to say that since the submission of our memorandum to the Home Affairs select committee, progress has been made on many of the areas highlighted in the memorandum and we continue to support the work of the Police Service and the Home Office on Contest Strategy.


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Britain's most successful Asian policeman hits out at criticism of anti-terrorism strategy
The country’s most successful Asian police officer has criticised the National Association of Muslim Police for speaking out against the Government’s anti-terrorism strategy.



Tarique Ghaffur, the former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police who left Scotland Yard following a race row, said that the NAPM should be warning of the dangers of Muslim extremists in Britain.


The Daily Telegraph disclosed yesterday that Muslim police association had openly rebelled against the Government’s anti-terrorism strategy.


The Association sent a seven-page memorandum to a Parliamentary committee investigating extremism warning that the current strategy was an “affront to British values”.


However, Mr Ghaffur said: “The NAMP and Muslim community representatives need to face up to the stark reality within the U.K.


“There is a very real problem within certain sections of our community. We have a small number of individuals within the Muslim community who have committed terrorist acts and others who do pose a significant threat to national security.”


He added: “This is an ideal time for the Muslim community of Britain to demonstrate its shared commitment to rooting out the dangerous minority who continue to use Islam as a front for the promotion of extremist violence. A clear and cohesive rejection of their agenda would be a particularly powerful tool in combating this unrepresentative minority.”


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Source: Daily Telegraph