Police Told to 'Take it Easy' on Muslim Extremists

From the Express:

POLICE will be ordered not to charge Muslim extremists in many hate crime cases – to stop them becoming more militant.

Guidelines will tell forces to press for conviction only in cases of clear-cut criminal acts.

Officers will be advised not to proceed when evidence of lawbreaking is “borderline”.

Examples of crimes to which a blind eye may be turned include incitement to religious hatred or viewing extremist material on the internet.

Last night critics warned that the move could mean Islamic radicals being give the freedom to encourage violence.

Some saw the move as a politically correct attempt to appease extremists who hate Britain.

It could even mean officers tolerating many activities of Muslim preachers of hate like the hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza.

Tory MP David Davies said: “This sounds like abject surrender. Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law.

“It doesn’t matter whether someone is suspected of incitement to hatred or shoplifting – they should all face the same risk of prosecution.

“There should be no special favours or treatment for any section of the community.”

Officials insist there is no suggestion that people who have clearly committed offences will avoid prosecution.

Instead, they want to avoid alienating Muslims on the fringes of extremism by dragging them to court over petty allegations unlikely to result in conviction.

One fear is that some young Muslims are falling under the influence of extremist preachers while serving prison sentences or on remand awaiting trial.

This news comes as one of the Muslims who took part in a demonstration against parading British troops claimed he was being 'persecuted' because of his religion after series of anti-terrorism raids prior to the demonstration found nothing.

He refused to admit he was part of the fringe Muslim demonstration until presented with photographic evidence:

A MUSLIM who claimed he was being victimised for his religion after anti-terror raids on his home took part in a fundamentalist protest against British soldiers which caused nationwide outrage, the Mail can reveal.

Zakeel Abbas’ Sydney Street home was raided by police in April, 2008, during an investigation into an extremist poster campaign in Burton, urging Muslims to attack non-believers, the White House and Rome.

However, no charges were subsequently brought against he and three other men whose homes were also raided.

The 32-year-old demanded an apology and even set up a support group for others ’persecuted for being Muslim’.

But, on May 5, during a parade in Luton for soldiers returning from Iraq, Mr Abbas was pictured protesting with Islamist extremist group Al Muhajiroun.

The group greeted the soldiers with a barrage of abuse, holding signs declaring them ’murderers’ and ’baby killers’.

Mr Abbas — who initially denied being present at the Luton incident until photographic evidence was produced, even showing him wearing the same top he was pictured in when he was interviewed in The Mail — subsequently conceded he took part but defended his involvement, claiming there is a ’campaign against Islam’ by police, the media and the Government.

He said: "I was invited to a meeting about the atrocities committed against innocent Iraqis, including the children who have been killed during the war.

"If a Muslim is attacked in any way, shape or form, we have the right to defend ourselves. We are all part of the nation of Islam.

"It was a completely peaceful demonstration and I went along to show my support for all the Muslims butchered in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I do not believe I have any extremist views, I follow a ’middle path’ in terms of my Muslim beliefs."

Mr Abbas denies his action will fuel tension between whites and Asians in Burton — even though the Luton protest has been blamed for heightening racial tensions in the Bedfordshire town and sparked retaliatory marches and protests against the extremists, which led to breakouts of violence, arrests and rumours of infiltration by extreme right-wing groups. He believes notions of hatred between ethnic groups are ’invented and perpetuated by the media’.

He said: "We do not believe there is any difference between people of different-coloured skin and I don’t think the protest has created any hatred.

"The police, Government and media have done a fine job of creating that themselves by making people wary of us."

Not alienating such people and waiting to see what they do next is a ridiculous strategy; in many of these cases, small actions add up to the bigger picture and help to prevent a terrorist attack.

Do the sensibilities of young Muslims really come before the safety of the wider public?