'At the very least, my son has a better character than David Blunkett,' Ashfaq Ahmad told the large, appreciative audience that turned out in Whitechapel's Brady Centre today to hear about the realities of British anti-terrorism laws from people who've experienced them.
Ashfaq Ahmad's son, Babar, has been arrested twice by anti-terrorist police since 2003. His father told the meeting that Babar Ahmad was beaten so badly the first time that he bled from his ears and his bladder, and that he still had pain in his hands. The second arrest, in August this year, led to a spell in prison that has yet to end.
Babar Ahmad's family is still trying to find out why he was arrested and exactly what will happen next. He is being held as a political prisoner at Woodhill prison, and facing extradition proceedings to the USA, which believes, on the strength of a couple of emails and a tourist brochure about the Empire State building, that he is a terrorist threat.
'I think the image of the nice, friendly policeman is a thing of the past,' Ashfaq Ahmad observed. He said that he thought Babar's reaction to his first arrest had drawn the attention of those who use anti-terrorism legislation as an excuse to make an example of members of the Muslim community.
'[Babar] publicised his case and made a formal complaint. People of my generation were afraid to come out and speak, and I would have been the same if my son had not been involved. Now I tell my wife when I go out, if I'm not back in ten or 12 hours, I've probably been arrested too.'
On Thursday this week, the House of Lords will decide on the legality of a government decision to opt out Article 5 of the European Human Rights Convention, which bans detention of foreign nationals without trial. Human rights lawyer Gareth Pierce told the Whitechapel audience that the practice of detaining people without trial was equivalent to mental torture, and discussed the experiences of detainees she had represented.
'People are trying to to survive in an era of vague allegations and uncertainty. [The government] is trying to tell us that the threat of terrorism is so great that they can destroy their commitment to the European Convention.'
About 150 people attended the meeting. Jahanara Khanom, 26, said she came because she knew that Babar Ahmad's father was going to speak and she wanted to hear his story first-hand. 'You want to know how you can be active,' she said. 'You hear about these meetings not being very well-attended and so I wanted to show support.'
Jahanara is a student and also works as a debt advisor. She lives in the East End. She said people rarely commented about her veil or dress. 'Well, we live here and there's a huge Muslim community here, so everybody's the same,' she said. Luthfa Khanom, who is 22 and an education student, said she also attended the meeting to hear Ashfaq Ahmad and to make sure that he knew people wanted to listen.
Babar Ahmad's family is still trying to find out why he was arrested and exactly what will happen next. He is being held as a political prisoner at Woodhill prison, and facing extradition proceedings to the USA, which believes, on the strength of a couple of emails and a tourist brochure about the Empire State building, that he is a terrorist threat.
'I think the image of the nice, friendly policeman is a thing of the past,' Ashfaq Ahmad observed. He said that he thought Babar's reaction to his first arrest had drawn the attention of those who use anti-terrorism legislation as an excuse to make an example of members of the Muslim community.
'[Babar] publicised his case and made a formal complaint. People of my generation were afraid to come out and speak, and I would have been the same if my son had not been involved. Now I tell my wife when I go out, if I'm not back in ten or 12 hours, I've probably been arrested too.'
On Thursday this week, the House of Lords will decide on the legality of a government decision to opt out Article 5 of the European Human Rights Convention, which bans detention of foreign nationals without trial. Human rights lawyer Gareth Pierce told the Whitechapel audience that the practice of detaining people without trial was equivalent to mental torture, and discussed the experiences of detainees she had represented.
'People are trying to to survive in an era of vague allegations and uncertainty. [The government] is trying to tell us that the threat of terrorism is so great that they can destroy their commitment to the European Convention.'
About 150 people attended the meeting. Jahanara Khanom, 26, said she came because she knew that Babar Ahmad's father was going to speak and she wanted to hear his story first-hand. 'You want to know how you can be active,' she said. 'You hear about these meetings not being very well-attended and so I wanted to show support.'
Jahanara is a student and also works as a debt advisor. She lives in the East End. She said people rarely commented about her veil or dress. 'Well, we live here and there's a huge Muslim community here, so everybody's the same,' she said. Luthfa Khanom, who is 22 and an education student, said she also attended the meeting to hear Ashfaq Ahmad and to make sure that he knew people wanted to listen.
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The image of the nice, friendly policeman is a thing of the past.
13.12.2004 09:21
'The image of the nice, friendly policeman is a thing of the past,' is a myth. They have always been used by our masters to suppress dissent and quash any perceived threats to establishment status quo, in the guise of protecting the general public. I could list many of the disparate groups who have been intimidated or physically attacked by the police at some time or other but it would take too long. In short, never ever trust a policeperson. The USA inspired War on Drugs and War on Terrorism is their all too easy excuse to give you a bad time.
Doug
We are all targets of the state
13.12.2004 09:55
What part of fascist tyranny don’t the Brits understand? The extremes of Stalin, Hitler, Pinochet and Suharto pale to insignificance in the face of this new legislation and few are objecting. Laws are not enacted which are not meant to be enforced.
If it can happen to Babar, it can happen to any of us and will, if we do not denounce, deny and defy this despotism, dictated from Westminster and the City of London. Has history taught you nothing? A powerful and wicked regime is rising in our midst.
Brittania
Cool (it), Britannia!
13.12.2004 13:15
Whafuck? I mean I agree with any and every objection to the racist "war on Terra" that the polis are colluding with, but lets not expose ourselves to ridicule.
The extremes of Stalin, Hitler, Pinochet and Suharto account for nearly 100 milllion murdered people - most of who died through forms of GENOCIDE.
This is blatantly worse than the (definitely extremely bad) actions of Blair and his nasty coppers, who are not gassing anyone. Yet.
Please maintain perspective. You only give ammo to the trolls and David Aaronovitch otherwise.
Easy, tiger
BB & The Beast
13.12.2004 14:30
Biometric I.D.’s are not compulsory yet, but failure to obtain one and furnish the Police
State with your DNA and retinal details will be penalized by a large fine or prison, I’d call that mandatory. In the fledgling democracy of Iraq, the penalty is certain death. What, no chip citizen? You must be a subversive... BANG!
Heaven might be preferable to this psychotic Brave New World where the rulers are out of control and unaccountable for incalculable crimes against the inhabitants of Earth. The laws we are compelled to obey are so stringent they would make Draco cringe, but when applied to a ‘chosen few’ these same obligations become null and void.
We dare not offend anybody’s sensibilities; that’s a hate crime, still, our leaders can kill, maim, poison, abduct and starve whole communities, especially children, with impunity. Our daily lives are micro-managed to ‘protect’ us, but politicians can operate torture chambers and joke about it during banquets, while troops eat D.U. sandwiches.
Based on a vague threat from a mythical terrorist network, which is a figment of Straussian neo-con imaginations, anyone of Asian origin can be snatched from British streets, beaten, tortured and held incommunicado, infinitely. Laws are never enacted which are not meant to be enforced. Stalin or Hitler would envy this legislation.
Suicide bombing missions occur intermittently in all quarters and an admission of guilt by ‘al Zarqawi’ over the internet adequately satisfies government officials, followed by a Media frenzy of xenophobia towards Islam and dawn raids on Muslim homes. No enquiry is deemed necessary; don’t even consider the Mossad or other dark forces.
People are tolerating lies, sickness, hunger, mass murder and pedophilia with little objection. Where is the bottom line? Unless we universally denounce, deny and defy this despotism, dictated from Westminster by the City of London, we are all potential targets of a powerful and wicked regime rising in our midst. History tells us so...
Britannia