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Muslim leaders defend handshake snub
3:19pm Monday 22nd January 2007
Comments (18)MUSLIM groups have defended the decision of a young muslim policewoman not to shake the hand of Sir Ian Blair.
The woman made a special request on religious grounds not to shake the hand of Britain's top policeman during a ceremony in London to mark the start of probation for 200 officers.
According to her beliefs, it is forbidden to touch a man who is not a relative or spouse.
"She obviously didn't set out to insult the man," a spokesperson for the London Muslim Centre said.
He insists that being Muslim would never interfere with an officer's duties: "If she needed to arrest someone in the street, she wouldn't have to worry at all," he said.
Scotland Yard granted the request to "minimise any disruption to others' enjoyment" and "ensure the smooth running of what is one of the most important events in an officer's career."
A Metropolitan police spokeswoman said: "The officer maintains that she puts the requirements of being a police officer above her personal beliefs and only exercises the latter when she has choice to do so.
"Any refusal to engage in this manner would not be tolerated by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)."
The woman has begun patrols in West London as part of her two-year probation, during which time her superiors must decide if she is suitable for a permanent position.
She caused further controversy by reportedly asking not to be photographed with the commissioner for "propaganda purposes".
The Met has actively tried to recruit Muslim officers, who make up less than one per cent of the force's 35,000 officers.
Fewer than twenty are Muslim women.
The MPS has said that disciplinary action against the officer is "still under consideration".
- 'Goody-bashing doesn't hide racism' - tell us what you think at The London Blog
Your Say YourTimes Series
franklin, says...
5:34pm Mon 22 Jan 07
Ringo, says...
5:57pm Mon 22 Jan 07
This is ridiculous.
Lorne, says...
6:56pm Mon 22 Jan 07
Amir, says...
6:58pm Mon 22 Jan 07
Recently we heard that white police applicants were discriminated against dispite having better skills in parts of Britain, to aid the increase of non white & ethnic minority applicants. Now we hear that someone who is not prepared to shake hands, lives in Britain & wants to work & be incontact with the public & communicate will not shake hands. She should never have passed the interview!
The muslims who practice this behavior are not prepared to integrate & need to take lessons from sucessful muslims in Europe & Asia who do wish to mix with their fellow man!!
G K Chesterton, says...
8:56pm Mon 22 Jan 07
Anon, says...
9:41pm Mon 22 Jan 07
She is an embarrasment to modern women & should perhaps try going to Saudi Arabia to work.
Croyboy, says...
11:51pm Mon 22 Jan 07
Lorne wrote:Maybe, but how long might it take her to consider whether or not her religion permits her to lay hands on said criminal? And what might happen in the interim?
Do you guys know how to read? In the article it states that she can touch people when it's related to her work, i.e. subduing a criminal.
Having said all that, Im sure the young lady would make a very good police officer back in her country or origin.
Common Sense, says...
12:24am Tue 23 Jan 07
Do you guys know how to read? In the article it states that she can touch people when it's related to her work, i.e. subduing a criminal.
Yes, however if alone would the islamic woman:
1. lift a seriously injured male from a car accident & give him artificial resuscitation?
Or
2.Hold the hand of a grieving man she had just had to break sad news of an unexpected death in his family.
Or
3. Put UK law before faith?
Every way you look at this it spells out a sorry situation.
Utbah, says...
1:24am Tue 23 Jan 07
I am utterly shocked at the language and utter stupidity of some of the posters.
"wot annoys me is that these people expect you to respect their their faith and beliefs and kow-tow to their practices, but they don't show any respect to anybody's else"
Exactly who is respecting YOUR OWN practices? I'll say you are a Christian, so who exactly attacked your practices? Jerry Springer? Was he a Muslim? Ofcourse not he's a Jew.
WHY ARE MUSLIMS CREATING ALAW OF THERE OWN IN THIS COUNTRY . ITS ABOUT TIME THE GOVERMENT HAD THE GUTS TO TO TELL THEM ABIDE BY THE COUNTRY LAWS THEY LIVE IN OR GET OUT.
What if I said the thing the other way round and instead of Muslim replaced it with a Jew.
Let's try and see who finds it offensive:
WHY ARE JEWS CREATING ALAW OF THERE OWN IN THIS COUNTRY . ITS ABOUT TIME THE GOVERMENT HAD THE GUTS TO TO TELL THEM ABIDE BY THE COUNTRY LAWS THEY LIVE IN OR GET OUT.
Was that Anti-Semitic? I'm sure it was, where do you draw the line against Anti-Islamitism?
Also, by the way, "they" are "we", and "I" is "We". Born and bread here, a black convert to Islam. Where should I exactly go? Since I am a Muslim.
Also, do you suggest the same thing to fellow jewish country men who live by the law or Torah?
Utbah, says...
1:27am Tue 23 Jan 07
What use is a policewoman who is forbidden from touching a person of the opposite sex?
This is ridiculous.
Sorry, if you want to comment. Why not fully read the article? Understand what Islam's position is.
Her job is not to go around and touch the opposite sex just because the males want to. Does a women have a right not to be touched? Isn't that what you would call "freedom", which we Muslims don't understand?
Islamically it is permisible to touch and save the life of the opposite sex. There is no doubt about that.
This story itself it utterly stupid. Don't they have anything better to report?
Robin, says...
9:25am Tue 23 Jan 07
All she did was to be rude.
She'll have no problem doing her job, as I understand it. In fact, it doesn't even apply then.
But obviously, it was offensive and she would have to consider the effect that would have.
CH, says...
9:34am Tue 23 Jan 07
God help any man who loses a lost one in her presence. If you don't understand that, then you have missed the point too.
BTW, having read most of the other news articles and blogs on this, you are in a very small minority - this has hit the news headlines right across the world for the reasons I have mentioned above. Her actions have insulted and embarrassed many even outside of Britain. If you cannot understand that, you have missed the whole point of why this was important.
CH, says...
10:18am Tue 23 Jan 07
NONE of the other Muslim WPCs refused to shake the hand of their superior officer at their passing out parade as they too regarded it as part of their professional life to do so. Why did these WPC think she was so different as to be so rude to everyone involved.
If she felt that way, she should have said something sooner, not wait until the Chief arrives to do this. The only explanation I can see is that it was done as a publicity stunt and has backfired. Why else put everyone in such an embarrassing position which could have been avoided had she had the decency to give everyone a chance to prepare in the first place (as I have explained in a previous e-mail).
If this WPC's judgement is SO bad so early in her career, one has to question how bad it will be on the job. Police cannot afford bad judgements.
Also, according to Islam, she is not supposed to be left alone with any unrelated male - how is that going to work on patrol? Muslims not supposed to go near any dogs - how will that work if a blind person is hurt and needs assistance with her seeing-eye dog. Sorry - but I really do question her judgement and ability to carry out her duties. If she is so restricted by this (more so than her other Muslim colleagues it would seem), I can't see her making her 2-year probation with such shoddy judgement so obvious.
shaban, says...
11:56pm Tue 23 Jan 07
Rod, says...
1:07pm Wed 24 Jan 07
Hi,
I am utterly shocked at the language and utter stupidity of some of the posters.
"wot annoys me is that these people expect you to respect their their faith and beliefs and kow-tow to their practices, but they don't show any respect to anybody's else"
Exactly who is respecting YOUR OWN practices? I'll say you are a Christian, so who exactly attacked your practices? Jerry Springer? Was he a Muslim? Ofcourse not he's a Jew.
WHY ARE MUSLIMS CREATING ALAW OF THERE OWN IN THIS COUNTRY . ITS ABOUT TIME THE GOVERMENT HAD THE GUTS TO TO TELL THEM ABIDE BY THE COUNTRY LAWS THEY LIVE IN OR GET OUT.
What if I said the thing the other way round and instead of Muslim replaced it with a Jew.
Let's try and see who finds it offensive:
WHY ARE JEWS CREATING ALAW OF THERE OWN IN THIS COUNTRY . ITS ABOUT TIME THE GOVERMENT HAD THE GUTS TO TO TELL THEM ABIDE BY THE COUNTRY LAWS THEY LIVE IN OR GET OUT.
Was that Anti-Semitic? I'm sure it was, where do you draw the line against Anti-Islamitism?
Also, by the way, "they" are "we", and "I" is "We". Born and bread here, a black convert to Islam. Where should I exactly go? Since I am a Muslim.
Also, do you suggest the same thing to fellow jewish country men who live by the law or Torah?
This story is about a Muslim woman not a Jewish woman.
If I were her boss and she made one more comment related to her religion and her duties she would be jobless by the time she finished the sentence.
It comes to this; you are the Muslim and not us! We dont need to know anything about your rules or likes and/or dislikes. If we want to talk good or bad about Allah and Islam, then that is what we do, we are not Muslims. You not liking it will be a factor but not the deciding factor. Why, because we are not Muslims. Your rules are for you and it cannot be imposed on others, a message Islam and Muslims need to understand clearly.
Please share that with all the other Muslims. And leave the Jews out of it.
Islam has rules and so does society. Our rules states that you will shake hands, do you understand. In our Nation women shake hands, thats the rule, if you dont like the rule, stay home or go back to your nation where we would have to respect your rules.
There is no compromise. She shakes hands or she is out. Your rules are not our rules, you and every single Muslim living in a non-Muslim country MUST realize that and cope with it. End of story. Be grateful you are not dealing with me, it would be pretty clear what the next move would be. She would be out of work immediately and possibly also deported, with any other Muslim who has issues with our rules.
Croyboy, says...
11:16pm Wed 24 Jan 07
For the record, I personally would be happy to see all of these people go back to their countries of origin, as its clear that neither group have the slightest inclination to assimilate into our society. Indeed, the Jews have made a fetish out of being different for the last six or seven hundred-odd years!
Greg Allen, says...
4:13am Thu 25 Jan 07
I'm an American and I have a very high standard for religious freedom, but I understand that some religious beliefs or dress codes (including my own) may make one unsuitable for certain jobs.
For example, can a Christian friar insist on wearing his robe and that funky haircut and demand to be hired as a corporate spokesman?
Sir Ian is questioning the "validity" of an officer's decision not to shake his hand at a passing out ceremony.
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leo, says...
5:30pm Mon 22 Jan 07