Female British Muslim police cadet refuses to shake commissioner’s hand; Update: Muslim leader defends cadet

posted at 4:25 pm on January 21, 2007 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly

It’s not because he’s a dirty, dirty kaffir. It’s because he’s a man, baby, yeeeaaah!

Good news, though: she’s allowed to touch male suspects if she’s apprehending them. It’s only the friendly, civilized, nonconfrontational, assimilationist touching that’s haram.

In addition to refusing a traditional congratulatory handshake from Sir Ian, the WPC – who wore a traditional Muslim hijab headscarf – also declined to be photographed with him as she did not want the picture used for ‘propaganda purposes’.

The woman had earlier insisted that it was contrary to her religious teaching for her to touch a man…

Asked about the officer’s ability to make an arrest, [a spokesman] said: “There is a standard between personal and professional life. A passing-out parade is a personal event. You are not fulfilling a professional duty there.”

The cops aren’t going to discipline her lest it complicate the “dialogue”:

“Sir Ian was informed on his arrival of the officer’s request. This has never happened before and he was bloody furious. But he agreed to go along with it so as not to cause a scene…

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said of the Imber Court incident on December 21 that normally the police would have refused a request not to shake Sir Ian’s hand.

“It was only granted by members of training staff out of a desire to minimise any disruption to other people’s enjoyment and to ensure the smooth running of what is one of the most important events in an officer’s career,’ she said.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, exiled UK jihadist kingpin Omar Bakri Mohammed warns the British that someday the moderate Muslim members of their police force will experience a religious awakening and wreak havoc on their security from within.

Update: They’re keeping an eye on her.

Scotland Yard said yesterday that a Muslim woman police who refused to shake hands with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at her passing-out ceremony would be dismissed if she did not “engage” with people as other officers do…

She also asked not to have her photograph taken with Sir Ian, Scotland Yard said, but a spokesman refused to confirm reports that the officer had cited her concern that a picture would be used for “propaganda purposes”…

Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said Muslim law could be adapted to fit circumstances. “If the officer is called to a male victim who has been shot, the laws go out of the window. If she has to resuscitate that dying person, Muslim law will then change and allow her all sorts of physical contact because a life is at risk and life is so precious.”

Update: What does basic courtesy towards your superiors have to do with being a good cop, wonders the chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

Muslim groups said her refusal was in line with common Islamic practice and called for greater understanding of cultural differences…

Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said the “overwhelming majority” of practising Muslims would avoid physical contact with a member of the opposite sex unless they were closely related.

Blowback

You must be logged in to post a comment.