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| Councillor held by Special Branch at Heathrow Airport |
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| Wednesday, 09 April 2008 | |
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Cllr Rahman told the Advertiser from Heathrow: "A man standing behind the desk at immigration control asked to see my passport and said he was a police officer. "He asked why I'd been in Cairo, how long I'd been there, what contacts I'd made and where I lived. "I asked what was the purpose of these questions and he said he was from Special Branch and had the right to ask under the Terrorism Act. "So I asked if he was calling me a terrorist. He said 'no' and went away and left me for half-an-hour." Cllr Rahman, a Left List candidate for the May 1 London Assembly elections, was later released. "I'm really shaken about it," he continued. "They didn't stop anyone else from that flight and I'm sure it was because of the colour of my skin and because I'm a Muslim. "It really makes you realize what happens to people." He is writing a letter of complaint to the Met Police. Scotland Yard said: "A man was stopped at Terminal 4 under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, but was not arrested and was allowed to go on his way." The Cairo conference has provided a forum for anti-war groups and a focus of opposition to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Source: http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.u...A59%3A31%3A470
          Readers have left 6 comments.
m:
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what exactly is his complaint??..im glad to see the police are doing their job..and him saying he was really shaken up..the bbc journo that got guns pulled on him and told to get on the floor because he had a rucksack with wires protruding from it on his back..the journo was shaken up, understandably, and the wires were equipment from his job..i dont think the journo is going to complain..
(1)
2008-04-09 13:09:52
Mary:
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m perhaps if you suffered continual harrassment because of your skin colour and religion you would not be asking 'what exactly is his complaint'.
(2)
2008-04-09 14:50:46
whypatcondellisntfunny:
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m, the difference here is that a man with a rucksack with wires poking out, in this day and age, is in fact suspicious. Stopping a man, a known political figure at that, who, I can only assume was not in possession of a rucksack with wires poking out, asking cursory questions, then leaving him for 30 minutes is a bit worrying. What was the officer doing for those 30 minutes? Having a fag, or a tea break? It took me 30 seconds to verify who Oliur Rahman was by going to his website, what happened in those 30 minutes exactly?
(3)
2008-04-09 15:07:53
shan:
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If we use Ms logic then since the majority of state terrorists occuyping iraq and afghan are european or americans of a fairer complexion should muslim nations stop people that come under those remits and ask them, whether they intened to kill-rape and sodomise while they are in the country.
I speak from personal experience of this matter and the guy behind the counter asked me who i was and why i had travelled to which i answered, when he said where do you work i said non of your business, he asked again and i repeated agian non of your business,to which the policeman standing next to him said, sir it is ok we ask these questions to all the people. which made me think do they ask whitemen coming back from abroad questions to see whether they have sexually abused children while abroad or not,somehow i do not think they do.
(4)
2008-04-09 17:34:49
Mohammed Abbasi:
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some of these guys make the rest look like bigots and idiots. they need to be more focused if they really are trying to look for terrorists - rather than trying to radicalise innocent brits.
oh yes i was stopped but treated with upmost courtesy and respect by the counter-terror guys, this happens most of the time. but seriously lets get a handle on reality - all or us yeah.
(5)
2008-04-09 20:51:26
meow:
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Nothing new, travelled to morrocco, Dubai, USA etc as part of my business, always stopped by the police in the airport checks. Best way to deal with the situation, I always carry my birth certificate, business cards, ID etc, with me AT ALL TIMES. Britain in Modern times !!!!!!!!!!!
(6)
2008-04-09 21:50:30
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Tower Hamlets councillor Oliur Rahman was detained at Heathrow airport today (last Wednesday) under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He has expressed outrage over the incident. Cllr Rahman was held for more than 30 minutes and quizzed by Special Branch about why he had attended the sixth Cairo international anti-war conference in Egypt.
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