EDIT: My first comment was censored because I criticized radical Islam. Do we live in the USA or Mecca ?
Muslim Police Officer refuses to guard Israeli embassy - what are your thoughts?
Chaya2010
2010/04/29 08:28:53
London's police, facing an uproar over a report that a Muslim officer had been excused from guarding the Israeli embassy, said that the department decided not to use him there after the officer disclosed his concerns about a war in Lebanon.
"This is not about political correctness. I want to make it clear that this decision was taken on the basis of risk and safety," Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said in a statement released by Metropolitan Police.
Commissioner Ian Blair had ordered an urgent review of the decision following a report in The Sun newspaper saying that Constable Alexander Omar Basha, who worked in the Diplomatic Protection Group, had sought to be excused from duty at the embassy because of moral objections to Israeli bombing of Lebanon.
Basha's wife is Lebanese and his father is Syrian, said Superintendent Dal Babu, chairman of the Association of Muslim Police.
Press Association, the British news agency, quoted unidentified police sources as saying the officer was willing to accept the posting, but feared reprisals against relatives in Lebanon if he was spotted guarding the embassy. Basha could not be reached for comment.
Stephenson said the department encouraged officers "to be up front and honest" about any matters which could affect their performance.
"At the height of the Israeli-Lebanon conflict in August this year the officer made his managers aware of his personal concerns, which included that he had Lebanese family members," Stephenson said.
"Whilst the Israeli embassy is not his normal posting, in view of the possibility that he could be deployed there, a risk assessment was undertaken, which is normal practice. It was as a result of this risk assessment - and not
because of the officer's personal views whatever they might have been - that the decision was taken temporarily not to deploy him to the Embassy.
"The public would expect us to conduct such a risk assessment and review the suitability of any firearms officer undertaking such duties."
Stephenson did not say what risks were discerned in this case.
Before any details of the case had been disclosed, debate raged between those who were shocked and those who dismissed it as a minor incident.
"By allowing this officer to avoid guarding the Israeli embassy, the Met has set an extraordinary and dangerous precedent," said Damian Hockney, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, which oversees the department.
"What happens if a Greek officer doesn't want to guard the Turkish embassy, or an anti-hunting officer refuses to protect pro-hunt demonstrators?" Hockney said.
But another authority member, Peter Herbert, said the story was a "ridiculous fuss about nothing."
"It is not uncommon for police officers to make requests of a personal nature," Herbert said. "Even officers with connections in Northern Ireland have made similar requests before."
Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, whose union represents lower-ranking officers, said the officer did not refuse the posting but requested another on the basis of his family circumstances.
"It is one thing for an officer to refuse to do something without giving sufficient cause, it is quite another for an officer to make a polite request which if agreed to, would result in a variation of duties," Smyth said.
Babu said he understood that moral objections were not the issue. "This is about the welfare of an individual, and not about a moral issue," Babu said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio.
"This particular officer had brought an issue forward - his wife is Lebanese, his father is from Syria - and he brought up this issue at the start of August this year, and had expressed a desire to be posted elsewhere while the war was going on," Babu said.
"He is now working normal DPG (Diplomatic Protection Group) duties, and clearly if an issue happens at the Israeli Embassy he will deal with it."
Diplomatic Protection Group officers are usually armed and are assigned to guard official buildings like the Houses of Parliament, politicians and visiting dignitaries as well as diplomats.
Two police officers with machine-guns guard were on guard Thursday outside the red-brick embassy on a quiet street in the ritzy Kensington district. Thick barriers in front of the embassy protect it from intruding vehicles, and
police deter passers-by from taking photographs.
The Israeli Embassy released a brief statement saying it had "full confidence in the ability of the Metropolitan Police force to provide the embassy with maximum security, as well as its ability to deal with this sort of grave
problem."
It later released another statement that said protecting the embassy was a "difficult problem," and expressed "full confidence in the devotion, professionalism and ability of the Metropolitan Police Force to provide the embassy with maximum security."
For further reading see following links below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5408470.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/oct/05/ukcrime.uknews21
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23369651-met-chief...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/770575.html
"This is not about political correctness. I want to make it clear that this decision was taken on the basis of risk and safety," Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said in a statement released by Metropolitan Police.
Commissioner Ian Blair had ordered an urgent review of the decision following a report in The Sun newspaper saying that Constable Alexander Omar Basha, who worked in the Diplomatic Protection Group, had sought to be excused from duty at the embassy because of moral objections to Israeli bombing of Lebanon.
Basha's wife is Lebanese and his father is Syrian, said Superintendent Dal Babu, chairman of the Association of Muslim Police.
Press Association, the British news agency, quoted unidentified police sources as saying the officer was willing to accept the posting, but feared reprisals against relatives in Lebanon if he was spotted guarding the embassy. Basha could not be reached for comment.
Stephenson said the department encouraged officers "to be up front and honest" about any matters which could affect their performance.
"At the height of the Israeli-Lebanon conflict in August this year the officer made his managers aware of his personal concerns, which included that he had Lebanese family members," Stephenson said.
"Whilst the Israeli embassy is not his normal posting, in view of the possibility that he could be deployed there, a risk assessment was undertaken, which is normal practice. It was as a result of this risk assessment - and not
because of the officer's personal views whatever they might have been - that the decision was taken temporarily not to deploy him to the Embassy.
"The public would expect us to conduct such a risk assessment and review the suitability of any firearms officer undertaking such duties."
Stephenson did not say what risks were discerned in this case.
Before any details of the case had been disclosed, debate raged between those who were shocked and those who dismissed it as a minor incident.
"By allowing this officer to avoid guarding the Israeli embassy, the Met has set an extraordinary and dangerous precedent," said Damian Hockney, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, which oversees the department.
"What happens if a Greek officer doesn't want to guard the Turkish embassy, or an anti-hunting officer refuses to protect pro-hunt demonstrators?" Hockney said.
But another authority member, Peter Herbert, said the story was a "ridiculous fuss about nothing."
"It is not uncommon for police officers to make requests of a personal nature," Herbert said. "Even officers with connections in Northern Ireland have made similar requests before."
Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, whose union represents lower-ranking officers, said the officer did not refuse the posting but requested another on the basis of his family circumstances.
"It is one thing for an officer to refuse to do something without giving sufficient cause, it is quite another for an officer to make a polite request which if agreed to, would result in a variation of duties," Smyth said.
Babu said he understood that moral objections were not the issue. "This is about the welfare of an individual, and not about a moral issue," Babu said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio.
"This particular officer had brought an issue forward - his wife is Lebanese, his father is from Syria - and he brought up this issue at the start of August this year, and had expressed a desire to be posted elsewhere while the war was going on," Babu said.
"He is now working normal DPG (Diplomatic Protection Group) duties, and clearly if an issue happens at the Israeli Embassy he will deal with it."
Diplomatic Protection Group officers are usually armed and are assigned to guard official buildings like the Houses of Parliament, politicians and visiting dignitaries as well as diplomats.
Two police officers with machine-guns guard were on guard Thursday outside the red-brick embassy on a quiet street in the ritzy Kensington district. Thick barriers in front of the embassy protect it from intruding vehicles, and
police deter passers-by from taking photographs.
The Israeli Embassy released a brief statement saying it had "full confidence in the ability of the Metropolitan Police force to provide the embassy with maximum security, as well as its ability to deal with this sort of grave
problem."
It later released another statement that said protecting the embassy was a "difficult problem," and expressed "full confidence in the devotion, professionalism and ability of the Metropolitan Police Force to provide the embassy with maximum security."
For further reading see following links below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5408470.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/oct/05/ukcrime.uknews21
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23369651-met-chief...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/770575.html
Top Opinion
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+9He should be fired or kicked out of the country as a traitor... he can't even do his job ?
EDIT: My first comment was censored because I criticized radical Islam. Do we live in the USA or Mecca ?
The Muslim done the right thing he should no of been detailed the person who did needs a hard thump on the head, to knock some sense into them. There could of been resentment from the embassy.
Israeli-Lebanese conflict raised personal issues for him given his ties to Lebanon. It makes sense he wouldn't want to guard a building that houses officials who are fighting with his home country.
It doesn't seem like his religion played into this at all, it was his ethnicity.
.... I don't think so L C. If he doesn't want the job, the ' Entire Job ', then he should be Fired.
Also, I was making sure that the author knows that Religion had very little to do with this as she is known for her extremely anti-Islamic blogs.
It's that simple and quite unambiguous really.
Obviously religion, ethnicity and nationality are the issues. What else what else could it be?
Thank Islam and the behaviour of a significant minority Muslims for my "anti-Islamic" blogs by the way . If you don't like them don't visit them it's that simple.
Stephenson said the department encouraged officers "to be up front and honest" about any matters which could affect their performance. "
I can understand why you'd be angry if he had outright refused to do his job, but that's not what happened here.
I'm glad you admit that it's only the minority of the Muslims that are violent and radical. That's progress.
I challenge you or anybody to find those words of mine anywhere. I have said and will continue to say that Islam is inherently is violent, primitive, misogynistic and totalitarian if taken to it's logical conclusion.
I will continue to say that it is vile and antithetical to equality democracy, pluralism and secular humanist Judeo-Christian society in general.
There is "no progress" to be made it has always and will always be my position - is that clear and unambiguous enough?
It's very clear, don't worry darling.
Take a look at this and tell me if you feel the same. By ' feel the same ' I mean that you still feel that this guy just had ' some reservations ' about doing that particular duty.
Vid: http://dotsub.com/view/84f5c7...
I apologize for my Teckno Stupidity ... I still haven't figured out how to put the Vid directly into the comment .. others have told me how to do it ... that " Dumber than a Box of Rocks " might have a little to do with it.
I am a little surprised that Chaya didn't supply this vid, as she is seeing much more of the ' In your face stuff ' in her Country ... notice the Country involved in the vid.
You may want to reconsider Chaya's input being her Gov't has let the problem get thoroughly out of control, she see's it first hand much more than we do, and she can tell us exactly how much of this has come about in her Country ... because it's contagious between Countries.
However, the soldier did not demand to be taken off the duty of guarding the Israeli embassy, he mentioned his reservations to his superior who was the one who took him off the job. It would be very different if he had outright refused, then he would have been at fault.
I'd rather not discuss Chaya anymore.
When you think about it L Comedy, if you had a New Neighbor move in beside you and that Newbie just sat back and minded his / her own biz, would you notice the Newbie or pay them much mind ... probably not.
If the Newbie begins and ends the day with loud, noisy parties, you'll probably take notice and complain ... these folks have pretty much moved in and gotten loud. I think CAIR is pretty much the tell all of the story.
There are some who push the envelope but this was just a case where a man had reservations about an assignment and his superiors pulled him off the job. Besides, from the comments I've read here, the people at the embassy would probably have preferred that the man didn't guard them anyway.
Do you see my point? This police officer, and he's probably a good police officer, has taken an oath to protect and serve the public. He needs to carry out his oath.
As far as any of us know, they could have made him stay there and he would have guarded it to the best of his ability without any complaints. He's not a traitor or insubordinate for making a request.
EDIT: I'm glad to see that the moderation team is doing what they need to do.
the muslim cop should not be allowed to pick and choose his duties because of religion
but, if i was in the israeli embassy, i would not want a muslim cop guarding my safety
the sucker would be likely let in a suicide bomber for sure