The Sun has joined in this weeks round of Muslim Bashing, their victim is PC Omar Basha, a loyal member of the Metropolitan Police force’s Diplomatic Protection Group.  PC Omar Basha has been dragged into the spotlight, following a leak from a colleague to The Sun, reporting how his managers had excused him from guarding the Israeli embassy during Israel’s latest aggressive bombing campaign against Lebanon.  On joining the police force, recruits are required to swear an allegiance, which includes serving “without favour or affection.” Critics are denouncing his managers for allowing him to ‘opt out’ of a two hour possible duty to guard the Israeli embassy and therefore are claiming that he has broken the allegiance.

PC Omar Basha’s wife is Lebanese and his marriage service was conducted by the banned cleric Omar Bakri, some years ago, as Bakri is related to his father-in-law, Dr el-Katme, a member of the MCB.  Bakri reveals that they do not share the same religious views, in fact few British Muslims share his ludicrous and intolerant convictions, which are a gift to the enemies of Islam.  Mr Bakri was deported to Lebanon but has stated that he only discovered Omar Basha was in the police force when he participated in the arrest of some of the members of his banned group Al-Muhajiran, when they were distributing leaflets considered to be homophobic.  It is reported that members of the banned group were demonstrating outside the Israeli embassy during the war with Lebanon and therefore perhaps PC Omar Basha was concerned about being seen by them and the possible ramifications for his wife’s family in Lebanon, if he was seen to be ‘protecting’ the Israelis.

In August at the height of the Israeli offensive against Lebanon, according to the Muslim Police Association (MPA), PC Omar Basha advised his managers of his personal concerns for the safety of his family in Lebanon, if he guarded the Israeli embassy.  According to the MPA, he asked to be posted elsewhere whilst the war was on and has since stated that now the war is over, “If an incident happens at Israeli embassy I will deal with it.”  

Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said: "This is not about political correctness. I want to make it clear that this decision was taken on the basis of risk and safety.... while the Israeli Embassy is not his normal posting, in view of the possibility that he could be deployed there, a risk assessment was undertaken, which is normal practice. It was as a result of this assessment - and not because of the officer's personal views whatever they might have been - that the decision was taken."

The Sun, sensationally claimed that PC Omar Basha opted out on moral grounds, in protest at the war in Lebanon.  A string of has-beens have been dragged out of the woodwork by the media to voice their condemnation and spread alarm about dangerous precedents being set.  I expect this insignificant incident would not have received any interest if it was a Roman Catholic police officer asking to be excused from patrolling an Orange Order march in Northern Ireland 10 years ago, if his family‘s lives were at stake.  PC Omar Basha’s managers should be praised for taking into account his extenuating circumstances and applying commonsense during their assessment and not condemned for being too ‘politically correct’.  Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has added fuel to the fire by announcing an "urgent review" of the decision. 

His priorities, undoubtedly, should be on finding the source of this leak from within the Metropolitan Police force who so happily disclosed confidential information to the media in an attempt to slur a fellow officer.

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