We all saw this on network TV over a week ago. 250 of London’s finest raiding a WMD factory in London’s Forest Gate community. They shot one of the “terrorist” suspects and saved Western Civilization.
A few days later, as legitimate reporting began to replace official press releases, we posted an article from the GUARDIAN listing concerns over police procedures. Follow-up articles in the British press affirmed a police screw-up. Mostly focused on MI5 and the Metro Police apologizing to the community at large.
The man shot in the east London terror raid described today how a police officer fired at him from close range without identifying himself first.
Speaking quietly and haltingly, at times having to stop because he was overcome by emotion, Mr Kahar said he had been shot from a distance of “two to three feet” by a man at the bottom of the stairs.
He said the bullet passed through the right-hand upper part of his chest and exited through his shoulder.
Mr Kahar was insistent that the gunshot was not a mistake. “He [the policeman] looked at me straight away and shot. We had eye contact and he shot me straight away.”
He stressed that the man did not identify himself as a policeman. “He was saying ‘Just shut the fuck up, stay there, stay there’.”
Mr Kahar said he was dragged out of the house and dropped on to the pavement before being given a tissue to put against his wound.
“At that time I knew it was the police as I saw a police van outside the house. I heard them bring my mum out. She was screaming and crying.”
Under persistent questioning from reporters as to whether he supported militant Muslim groups, Mr Kahar described himself as an ordinary Briton who loved his country. He said he worked up to 60 hours a week at the Royal Mail and Tesco: “I just want to work and keep my family, support my mum and dad”.
He insisted he had no idea why police had targeted his family home.
“I believe the only crime I had done in their eyes was being Asian with a long beard.”
Politicians continue with non-denial denials. American media continues to ignore the rest of the story.
Yes — he was released without being charged with any crime.
Update:
The Metropolitan police today bowed to demands for an apology from the family targeted in an east London terror raid, after the man shot by an officer spoke for the first time of fears for his life.
The assistant commissioner, Andy Hayman, issued the apology “for the hurt that we have caused” this afternoon, hours after an emotional press conference in which Mohammed Abdul Kahar described how a police officer fired at him from close range without identifying himself first.
As a brit, I find this totally disgusting. Then again its not a lot different to how they handled that poor Brazillan guy either 🙁
At least this guy survived *sigh*
They’ve been saying it for centuries. If your not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about. Let’s face it, along with the US, the UK population hasn’t been that gracious toward immigrants. WASP rules is still the rule.
Doesn’t look Asian to me.
rus62 — a good deal of the English-speaking world uses the term “asian” to cover the map from the Near East to the Far East.
Eideard, I know that as a world traveler myself. But I still stay with my statement.
this is defintly an …..000PS……moment.
I am with rus62, Asian = China/Japan
This chap is Indian sub-continent
Back to the article; bad intelligence, wow who would have thought it!
#4 — What did you mean by the English speaking world, first language or second? Put him in a lineup here in the states, England, Australia… and he won’t be picked out as Asian by the majority of the people.
How about Lawsuit?
Neal Saferstein
axe — the word “parochial” comes to mind, once again. Throughout the English-speaking dominion, former British crown colonies — excepting the USA — Asian is accepted pretty much as Eideard said earlier to rus62. Just because rus62 and stalinvlad (chuckle) don’t prefer the usage — even though the latter says he knows better — doesn’t change the common parlance in English-English as opposed to American-English. In fact, most often in the UK, it only refers to people from the Indian sub-continent.
And the point of the article — in case you don’t recall — is that he isn’t the one who should be in the lineup. Unless you think his ethnicity is sufficient reason?
I would be suspicious of anyone who shaves their head and grows a beard like that.
he’s Pakistani….or as the English so endearingly call them….a Paki.
And Eideard is correct….just about anyone East of Portsmouth is considered an Asian by the Brits.
Apparently they were causing trouble in the neighbourhood and had caused one local resident to move out of their home.
So you can just imagine a disgruntled neighbour living my these supposed hoodlums. Given their appearance, simply ringing up the cops anonomously and mentioning the word ‘terrorist’ was enough to get these guys into a world of hurt!
Asian: Geographically speaking… South Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Hence the word Asian when referring to this man.
some of the markers were there – apparently until about a year before they had worn western clothes, listened to western music etc and suddenly became devout, adopting traditional clothing etc. Some of their “old” friends had said that the guys no longer wanted to have anything to do with them. They’d changed their personalities virtually overnight after attending a mosque known for “radicalising” young dissafected muslim youths.
This must have rung quite a few alarm bells with the police when they got their tip-off, thus they went in there heavily tooled up, and probably quite scared – understandable?
No smoke without fire………………
He needs to appologize for that beard, first.
It’s easy to second-guess cops, but when you need to make a split-second decision between him dying or you dying — I’m not sure that any of us would be any more gentle or sensitive. What part of “Stay there” did this guy not understand?
How about shooting some brits to make them realize the importance of life,,,
A man having beard is shot for no reason and no one is upset,,because every one sees osama in him,,, should we muslims see Bush in every clean shaved person and react accordingly….
Things will not work this way…. we both have to sit and discuss…
Islam is the message of peace,,, Just read Quran and then question the world…rather reading news paper and questioning Islam..