RACISM CHARGE ON UK POLICE

UK police chief, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair talked about his own seniority and record in a rare statement to defend claims of racism in Britain’s largest police force. His defence line was that every member of London’s Metropolitan police force “works to my direction and must meet my reasonable requirements. Any other position is impossible. If that does not occur, I will deal with the matter robustly and quickly.” His statement was issued as he was appearing at the Metropolitan Police Authority following reports that that Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, the most senior Muslim policeman, is considering a race discrimination employment case against the force. Ghaffur, who was born in Uganda, is reportedly claiming racism over failure to renew his five-year contract, being sidelined by the commissioner and allegedly being told to keep quiet about his reservations about extending pre-charge detentions to 42 days. Ghaffur has also blamed Islamophobia in western societies for creating a “generation of angry young people” vulnerable to extremism and called for an independent judicial inquiry into radicalisation of young Muslims following the 2005 July 7 attacks in London.