An eight-year-old is left ‘traumatised’ and ‘frightened’ by counter terrorism police
Counter-terrorism police left an eight-year-old boy “frightened” and “traumatised” after interviewing him at school.
According to the Independent, the boy was questioned by two officers and a social worker under the Prevent strategy following a safeguarding alert. The family has made complaints to Redbridge Council and the Metropolitan Police over what happened.
“Frightened” and “traumatised”
The boy’s father told the Independent that the boy was questioned “about Islam, the mosque he attends, whether he prays, and his views on other religions”. Additionally, he was asked to “recite verses from the Quran”.
He said the incident “frightened” and “traumatised” the boy. He continued:
Our son is only in Year 3 and is significantly impacted by this. He has since asked us why he had been questioned and not any other children were questioned.
He feels betrayed by his teacher, as it was someone he trusted who took him to the officers to be questioned in this manner.
Read on...
Support us and go ad-free
“Islamophobia”
The boy’s parents accused the council and the police of ‘Islamophobia’. The Independent claims that:
the child was interviewed without consent following concerns about the father’s
attendance at dawah stalls in 2014 – which allegedly had links to a Anjem Choudary‘s al-Muhajiroun terrorist network.
But no safeguarding concerns arose from the interviews. According to Kevin Blowe, coordinator of the Network for Police Monitoring, the purpose of the interview was “to put pressure on the father”. He told The Canary:
Many safeguarding concerns are genuine and urgent but interrogating a child in this way is extraordinary. It seems less like a real concern for his welfare and more like a hamfisted trawl for anything incriminating that can be used to put pressure on his father.
Police and council response
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the Independent:
We can confirm that counter-terrorism officers undertook a visit to an east London school earlier this year following concern raised about a child under 10 years old.
This safeguarding meeting was conducted in the company of a social worker. Counter Terrorism Policing works with partners to safeguard the most vulnerable in our society. A public complaint has been received in relation to this matter and is now being investigated by the Counter Terrorism Professional Standards Unit. No safeguarding issues were identified as a result of the meeting with the boy and no further police action was taken in relation to this matter.
And a spokesperson for Redbridge Council stated:
We’re unable to comment on the circumstances of this matter but can confirm we have received a formal complaint, which is being fully investigated in line with the council’s usual procedures.
“The huge problem”
Blowe summed up why this case goes to the “heart of the huge problem with Prevent”:
When the term “radicalisation” is poorly defined and viewed in the broadest possible terms, it not only becomes meaningless, but can lead to surveillance on almost anyone – especially if they are members of British Muslim communities.
He concluded:
Is it any wonder Muslim parents distrust the government’s counter terrorism activities?
Featured image via Flickr/Elliott Brown
Support us and go ad-freeWe know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support
The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.
The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.
So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.
-
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.
There will never be end to terrorism as long as Muslim children keep on attending non-Muslim schools with non-Muslim teachers. Muslim youth are born into British society and socialized in British schools, or naturalized after years of residence and integration, but endure frustrating barriers to socioeconomic mobility and face discrimination as members of an ethnic minority. And though a majority identify as British, a 2006 Pew survey shows how British Muslims maintain attitudes of disaffection and alienation more than Muslims in other European countries. Opportunistic imams can then mobilize a minority of impressionable youth toward a fundamental practice of religion. In fact, former Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells directly attributes the threat from British-born Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq to not dealing with their radicalization in the U.K.
None of 7/7 bombers and British Muslim youths who are in Syria and Iraq are the product of Muslim schools. They are the product of British schooling which is the home of institutional racism with chicken racist native teachers. It is absurd to believe that Muslim schools, Imams and Masajid teach Muslim children anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-western views. It is dangerously deceptive and misleading to address text books and discuss them out of their historical, cultural and linguistic context. In Islam there is no commandment to kill people by making such allegations against them. The cartoonists had exercised their freedom of expression, and freedom of expression is totally allowed in Islam. Even during the Prophet’s time there were several instances of ridicule, however the Prophet and his Companions neither punished such persons nor asked anyone to do so. On every occasion of this kind, the Prophet’s Companions always tried to positively disseminate the message of Islam. They never tried to punish these people.
In Islam there is no commandment to kill people by making such allegations against them. The cartoonists had exercised their freedom of expression, and freedom of expression is totally allowed in Islam. Even during the Prophet’s time there were several instances of ridicule, however the Prophet and his Companions neither punished such persons nor asked anyone to do so. On every occasion of this kind, the Prophet’s Companions always tried to positively disseminate the message of Islam. They never tried to punish these people. The killing of those people who had published the cartoons is a gravely un-Islamic act in the name of Islam.
Multiculturalism is not about integration but about cultural plurality. It is not about separation but about respect and the deepening awareness of Unity in Diversity. Each culture will maintain its own intrinsic value and at the same time would be expected to contribute to the benefit of the whole society. Multiculturalism can accommodate diversity of all kinds – cultural, philosophical and religious – so that we can create a world without conflict and strife. Britain can assume the role of accommodation and concern for all peoples, for our planet and indeed for our survival. Multi-Culturalism is even more important and crucial after 9/11 and 7/7. Muslim youths are also likely to feel alienated by a focus on shared Brutishness, rather than multicultural diversity. Rather than promoting a single British “us” teaching should acknowledge that “us” can be diverse and plural. Children should be encouraged to explore differences in appearance, history and religion to reduce social and educational fears. West must learn to respect and tolerate those who are different. Muslim community in all western countries need Masajid, state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers, halal meat, sharia laws, time of for Friday afternoon prayers in the Masjid, two religious official holidays per year and Muslim cemeteries. Stop treating foreigners like garbage and they will stop ruining your precious country. Why did you let them in in the first place if you didn’t want them here? They left everything in their countries because of your promises. Are you so anxious to please that you can’t say “no”? I would love to see you go to a foreign land where you don’t have any friends, you don’t even know anyone and you don’t speak the language, and start from scratch. I would just LOVE to watch you do that. Let them integrate and stop segregating them. What I want is people being nice to each other. I don’t care about race.
Speaking English does not promote integration into British, American and Australian societies, and broaden opportunities. English speaking Muslim youths are angry, frustrated and extremist, thanks to state schools with monolingual non-Muslim teachers and English language. English language is not only a lingua franca but also lingua frankensteinia. Human right are also covers linguistic right. Cultural and linguistic genocide are very common. British schooling is murdering community languages like Arabic, Urdu and others. English is today the world killer language. Linguistic genocide is a crime against humanity and British schooling is guilty of committing this crime. Language is not just a language. It defines one’s culture, identity and consciousness. It defines how we think, communicate and express ourselves. The fact is the most South Asian Muslims have come to know Islam by way of Urdu, the children’s alienation from the language that connects them the heritage of their parents and grandparents is disturbing. As a matter of fact, one has to get to know his mother tongue well if one is to master any other language.
In Islam there is no commandment to kill people by making such allegations against them. The cartoonists had exercised their freedom of expression, and freedom of expression is totally allowed in Islam. Even during the Prophet’s time there were several instances of ridicule, however the Prophet and his Companions neither punished such persons nor asked anyone to do so. On every occasion of this kind, the Prophet’s Companions always tried to positively disseminate the message of Islam. They never tried to punish these people. The killing of those people who had published the cartoons is a gravely un-Islamic act in the name of Islam.
Islam does not support terrorism under any circumstances. Terrorism goes against every principle in Islam. If a Muslim engages in terrorism, he is not following Islam. He may be wrongly using the name of Islam for political or financial gain.The Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Do not kill women or children or non-combatants and do not kill old people or religious people….Muslims Against Terrorism requests media not use phrases such as “Islamic Fundamentalists” or “Muslim Terrorists” regarding terrorist attacks “Because such things do not exist. Islam is the religion of peace, love and mutual respect. Islam is the religion of moderation. Islam is the religion of human value and dignity.” They ask that religious affiliation not be mentioned in terrorist attacks.
The British establishment is wrong in thinking that Imams are to blame for extremism. Imams are not solution to the problem for extremism. Extremism is nothing to do with Imams. Extremism is not created from abroad, it is coming from within. Britain fails to help Muslim communities feel part of British society. Race trouble is being predicted by the Daily Express, because of an ethnic boom in UK major cities. Muslim communities need imams for the solutions of their needs and demands in their own native languages. Muslim parents would like to see their children well versed in Standard English and to go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. The fact is that majority of Muslim children leave schools with low grades because monolingual teachers are not capable to teach Standard English to bilingual Muslim children. A Muslim is a citizen of this tiny global village. He/she does not want to become notoriously monolingual Brit.
Just think and ask your self who is responsible for all these attacks terrorism. if we are blaming Muslims for terrorism who created this term terrorist for Muslims only ?
Remember lass Vegas shooting but it was not terrorist attack according to your propaganda government because attacker was not a Muslim guy .
When US UK RUSSIA ISRAEL KILLED thousands and thousands of innocents in Iraq ,Afghanistan ,Libya ,Palestine,Pakistan Chechnya ,so don’t we think one of those man who lost everything in air strikes and firing by all these countries will not take revenge ?
Its human nature if we any one don’t get justice he will move for other options .
People crying for western countries but they never cried for all those innocent people’s of victim countries.
JUST STOP INVADING AND OTHER COUNTRIES .we all know that all these countries were developed and were living peacefully before the invasion of US .
Please tell me the difference between a bunch of Muslims killing innocent civilians, and drones sent by the West massacring entire families in Pakistan and Afghanistan. When ‘they’ kill, it’s terrorism, when ‘we’ kill, it’s necessary in order to ‘protect our way of life’. Blatant hypocrisy.
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk