Inquiry into embassy police row

 

Sir Ian Blair ordered the review after reports in the Sun newspaper

 

Metropolitan Police chief Sir Ian Blair has ordered an inquiry after a Muslim constable was excused from guarding the Israeli embassy in London.

 

Sir Ian says he wants an "urgent review of the situation and a full report".

 

The Sun newspaper said the officer was reassigned on "moral grounds" as he objected to Israeli actions in Lebanon.

 

But the Association of Muslim Police Officers said it was a "welfare issue" - the officer had Middle Eastern relatives and felt unsafe in that role.

 

The officer, who has been named as Pc Alexander Omar Basha, is attached to the Scotland Yard's Diplomatic Protection Group.

 

The particular officer has brought an issue forward. His wife is Lebanese and his father is from Syria

 

Association of Muslim Police Officers

 

He has a Syrian father and a Lebanese wife.

 

During the summer, when Israel was involved in a month-long conflict with Lebanese militants, Pc Basha asked to be moved from the Israeli embassy because he felt uncomfortable and unsafe.

 

Now the conflict is over, the Association of Muslim Police Officers - which is speaking on his behalf - said Pc Basha had asked to be excused from his duties because he felt "uncomfortable and unsafe".

 

 

Superintendent Dal Babu, from the association, told BBC News the officer's reassignment had nothing to do with politics but was an "issue around the welfare of a particular officer".

 

"The particular officer has brought an issue forward. His wife is Lebanese and his father is from Syria.

 

"He brought this issue up at the start of August and has expressed a desire to be posted elsewhere whilst the war was going on."

 

Oath of allegiance

 

Supt Babu said Pc Basha was now back on diplomatic protection group duties and that "if an incident happens at the Israeli embassy he will deal with it".

 

Supt Babu accepted that excusing officers from assignments because of moral beliefs would be unacceptable.

 

"I think that we're going down a very, very slippery slope if we then start having postings based on individual officers' conscience," he said.

 

"As police officers we have to deal with some very difficult situations and we need to be objective and make sure that we police all members of the community fairly.

 

If officers have political, religious, ideological or moral views about things then they've got to put their duties above that because their service is to the public

 

"We can't pick and choose."

 

Lord Mackenzie, former president of the Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, said the move sounded like "a step too far".

 

"There are cases where clearly you can grant compassionate leave in certain circumstances," he said.

 

Source BBC News

 

 

Thoughts? Frankly, I wonder why the guy was even put in this position in the first place.. Did it not actually occur to these idiots who were supposedly his 'superiors' that just maybe it might not actually be a good idea to have a practicing Muslim with a Lebanese wife and Lebanese IN-LAWS on this particular duty at the time when Israel was bombing the living C/RAP out of the country where his ruddy wife was from???? It's a bit like putting a Black or Asian copper undercover in a White Supremacist group or have a Roman Catholic officer patrol the bloody Orange Parades up the Shankhill Road in Belfast at the height of the "Troubles"... - ie it makes no sense, unless it was done deliberately.......Just a thought....

 

It's all very well to say "oh, it was his duty to do it whatever his personal feelings", but I think we're all adult and intelligent enough to say that that's gonna be impossible, coppers do take the job home with them, it's a bit unavoidable; and just how would his wife feel knowing her husband was protecting the very Israeli diplomats who are part of the Israeli Govt that is bombing her country... Doesn't exactly make for a good homelife does it....? Franky, I think any one of us in that situation would've done the same thing, so let's not lie to ourselves and say that we would just blindly 'follow orders'.

 

Personally, I wish more coppers would have the guts to stand up and question dubious assignments, then maybe we wouldn't have police going in mob-handed to arrest single anti-war Protestors at the Cenotaph or van loads of coppers going to Parliament Square to harrass and confiscate the placards of Brian Haw, respected peace campaigner who has stood a peaceful and dignified vigil outside the Houses of Parliament for five years... Or maybe we would never again see the Police be used as pawns and Agents Provocateurs to facilitate the destruction of whole Communities at the behest of a worthless, corrupt Govt, such as we saw in the 1980s during the Miners Strike....

 

Hmm, just maybe, eh....?

Thoughts? Frankly, I wonder why the guy was even put in this position in the first place.. Did it not actually occur to these idiots who were supposedly his 'superiors' that just maybe it might not actually be a good idea to have a practicing Muslim with a Lebanese wife and Lebanese IN-LAWS on this particular duty at the time when Israel was bombing the living C/RAP out of the country where his ruddy wife was from???? It's a bit like putting a Black or Asian copper undercover in a White Supremacist group or have a Roman Catholic officer patrol the bloody Orange Parades up the Shankhill Road in Belfast at the height of the "Troubles"... - ie it makes no sense, unless it was done deliberately.......Just a thought....

 

Agree.....his superiors should've thought in advance!! Yes, police officers (like nurses or firemen) should be prepared to work with/care/protect every quarter of the community.....but, as with most things, there are often factors which need to be considered first!! The fact that a war was raging that he was indirectly affected by is as blatant a reason as any!! Also agree, Grimly, about your other examples....however, they have happened...and all it does is fuel further problems! :blink:

 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, as it will probably set a precadent!!

i dont have any problem with him being excused that particular duty...

i dont have any problem with him being excused that particular duty...

 

Yeah, I mean, it aint as if there aren't plenty of other embassies they could've had him posted to, and surely with him more than likely being a fluent Arabic speaker (what with an Arabic dad and wife) and having knowlege of Arabic customs, might it not have been more productive to perhaps have him serve his duty at the embassy of an Arabic country...? Not exactly big on joined-up thinking in the Met are they....?

 

as a policeman, you're taught that, whilst on duty - you're a policeman FIRST - this guy's religion is irrelevant.

 

Would his religion have prevented him from entering a brothel where, say, a murder had occurred?

 

From a betting shop where a break-in had occurred?

 

A bar where a fight had broken out?

 

This guy should be disciplined - and asked what comes first - his religious beliefs or his job - it's a clear-cut question.

as a policeman, you're taught that, whilst on duty - you're a policeman FIRST - this guy's religion is irrelevant.

 

Would his religion have prevented him from entering a brothel where, say, a murder had occurred?

 

From a betting shop where a break-in had occurred?

 

A bar where a fight had broken out?

 

This guy should be disciplined - and asked what comes first - his religious beliefs or his job - it's a clear-cut question.

 

It aint about religion though, it's about the safety of the officer and COMMON SENSE really. During the airstrikes on Lebanon, there were angry protests outside the Israeli embassy, if some nutter from his community had been there and had recognised this guy, what do you think would happen...? The higher ups are supposed to actually think about things before they place officers on certain duties surely. Like I say, could you imagine a Catholic officer at an Orange Parade in Belfast....?

 

And he's not a murder investigator, so your example would never arise, he is an officer who is specifically put on secondment to Diplomatic and Embassy duties... Which makes it all the more crazy to have him doing his duty in the Israeli embassy.... You'd think as an ARABIC speaker, they'd place him in an ARABIC embassy.... It aint rocket science.....

but, Scott, as a policeman, a public servant - you can't choose who you police... it comes with the territory that you'll be in situations and cultures that you'll find distasteful.

 

What if he'd been called from his station to an urgent disturbance at this embassy? Would he refuse to go then?

What if he'd been called from his station to an urgent disturbance at this embassy? Would he refuse to go then?

 

 

Being on the Diplomatic Protection Duty, he'd've been actually at the embassy had some sh!t gone down, not in a police station... And I am not arguing that he should be able to 'pick and choose' his assignments, I am arguing that senior officers should have used their common sense an placed him according to what his abilities and strengths were - someone with KNOWLEGE of a language or culture should surely be placed in an environment where that knowledge would be advantageous; someone who rates highly in firearms training wouldn't be bunged on desk-duty would they...? Like I say, 'joined up thinking', is it too much to ask of our police force...?

..... i think a certain amount of discretion is needed here, and he is only 1 copper with 1 problem about 1 situation... common sense...

... I can't wait til the (large section) of gay London coppers start refusing to police Muslim, NF and Christian marches, then......

... I can't wait til the (large section) of gay London coppers start refusing to police Muslim, NF and Christian marches, then......

 

Personally, I'd support em if they did mate, the fukkin' BNP/NF aint no legit political party.... I've not seen too many Christian marches though.... :lol:

 

But, come on, Russ this surely was an 'exceptional circumstance'....

... I can't wait til the (large section) of gay London coppers start refusing to police Muslim, NF and Christian marches, then......

 

 

no comparison m8....

true, Rob - religion is a CHOICE.

 

Sexuality - it isn't.

 

Gay coppers have FAR more valid a reason for refusing to man BNP marches than a copper who chooses a religion does.

eh?.... how many 'straights' have strapped explosives to them, gone in a gay bar and detonated?....

 

people kill eachother over differences in religious views.... they dont kill eachother over their sexual orientation... (ok ok i know 'gay bashing' has claimed a few unfortunate lives in the past, but still...no comparison)

eh?.... how many 'straights' have strapped explosives to them, gone in a gay bar and detonated?....

 

 

Well, there was the bloke who planted a bomb in a gay bar in Soho a while back mate, but then he WAS mentally deranged and had been known to have neo-Nazi sympathies, he also targeted an Asian market and had planned to bomb a Jewish jewellers as well....

 

Nope he should be reprimanded, people should leave their religion and political beliefs at home when they drive in to police duty, but the bloody idiot that assigned him to the particularly duty should be sacked as he has not the common sense to be a cop