Rights groups hail Lords' stand

Abu Dhabi: The House of Lords' rejection of the bid to introduce an extended detention clause in the anti-terrorism bill will go a long way towards easing religious tension in British society and advancing tolerance and integration, human rights groups and Muslim political activists told Gulf News.

The House of Lords decision is described as a bitter defeat and deals another serious blow to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his ruling Labour Party.

Politicians and commentators across the political spectrum described the Lords decision as "humiliating" and "big" with Conservative former shadow home secretary David Davis describing it as "the biggest defeat in the Lords in living memory".

This clause of the anti-terrorism bill has been controversial and raised objections from the general public and human rights groups because it provides the government with the legal tool to extend the period for which police can hold terrorism suspects before charging them from 28 to 42 days.

Amnesty exhortation

Liberty, an influential human rights body, welcomed the decision. "The Lords have protected human rights by their logical decision to reject the clause on extension of detention," said a spokesman for the group.

On its part, Amnesty International, while welcoming the House of Lords' decision, said in a statement: "We must continue campaigning until an extension has been ruled out altogether."

The House of Commons, where the Labour Party has a majority, passed the Bill last June by just nine votes after rigorous government lobbying and pressure. However some Labour MPs voted against the Bill and it only passed muster after members of the Democratic Union Party broke ranks and supported the government line.

Active British Muslim and Arab politicians and analysts said the government had attempted to run away from its difficulties by trying to hitch a ride on public sentiment about antiterrorism efforts.

"The UK government was looking for an issue to pretend to be tough in such an environment of difficulties and sinking public support," Dr Burhan Chalabi, a prominent political activist, said by telephone fro London. "However, Brown chose the wrong issue at the wrong time," he said.

The Lords decision will contribute to "reducing the Islamophobia and inter-faith and society tensions", he said.