Sentences show anti-terrorism law targets Muslims

Dubai: The recent sentencing of two British Muslims under anti-terrorism law will not be the last in a long series of court judgments and imprisonments of members of the Muslim community since 2001.

The long sentences of 10 and 12 years were handed down on Aabid Khan and his cousin Sultan Mohammad, both 23 years old and from Bradford in central England, after they were convicted of "possessing or making documents promoting terrorism".

A third person, Hammaad Munshi, will be sentenced next month. He was just 16 when he was arrested on his way home from school and is already described as Britain's youngest convicted terrorist.

These types of sentences and the attitude of the British authorities against the Muslim community had created controversy and disruption of inter-communal relations in the UK. They had also led to sectarian and racist attacks against Muslims as well as drawing angry and strong protests and criticism from human rights and religious bodies. Despite the authorities' denials, those sentences are seen as racially and religiously motivated.

What is interesting is that the judge himself, Judge Timothy Pontius, of Blackfriars Crown Court, acknowledges in his judgment that the three had not been convicted of planning a specific attack.

Forced out of court

He said much of the material could be described as "offensive propaganda", which gave an insight into people's "fanatical beliefs". Such justifications had also prompted Khan's father, Sabir, to accuse the judge of being "anti-Muslim", after which he had to be forced out of court by security officials.

The UK anti-terrorism bill and government anti-terror measures had taken shape after the deadly aerial attacks in New York in September 2001. In the wake of the terrorist attacks against the transport network in London in July 2005, the government granted police, intelligence and judicial authorities extensive powers to search, arrest, try and convict suspects on a wide range of offences including visiting internet websites that are considered to be supportive of or propagating for Islamist fundamentalism or terrorism.

Soon after the UK courts convicted three Muslim men of "inciting terrorist murder via the internet".

It should be pointed out that what is seen as "targeting Muslims" is not limited to the UK as there are several similar cases in other countries, notably USA. Recently an American commercial airline pilot, who converted to Islam, was reported by US agency Associated Press as filing a federal lawsuit against the Homeland Security Department and various other federal agencies.

He claims that his name is on the US government's secret terrorist watch list and that he faces losing not only his job but the ability to make a living in his chosen profession.

Muslim societies and the National Muslim Women's Organisation as well as several members of parliament have expressed concern about the repressive and restrictive manner of the anti-terror law.