Dhimmi Police

So, once again the idea of the British police sharing anti-terrorist intelligence with the Muslim community of Britain has raised its head.

The police are considering proposals to share intelligence and information with Muslims before launching anti-terror operations.

The plans, announced by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, are part of a wider vision to engage more with British Muslims whose support police need in fighting terrorism.

At a conference on Islamophobia, Sir Ian told his largely Muslim audience that combating the threat of extremism and terrorism was something his officers could not do alone.

Amazing. Funny that no one even suggested sharing intelligence with the Catholic community before launching anti-IRA raids a few years back. The very idea would have been laughed at, despite the fact that that community remained pretty much closed-mouthed about terrorist activity. No, when non-Muslim groups are involved, the police and intelligence services just get on with their jobs as best they can. No one would dream of offering any non-Muslim community such special, privileged treatment.

And it seems that the police are also going to cease their "stop and search" tactics because it's "alienating" the Muslim community- so if cops see a Muslim man acting suspiciously, and perhaps carrying a bulging backpack or wearing a thick coat in the summertime, they probably won't be able to check to see if he is in fact on his way to blow up some innocent civilians. No, police are considering only stopping people they have "prior intelligence" on, and not on their appearance. Yep, the risk of offending some thin-skinned people sure is more important than stopping bombs being detonated in public places.

Again, police and army roadblocks and car searches- and searches of backpacks, handbags, and shopping bags-were all tactics used to prevent the IRA and the like from carrying out bombings here in Northern Ireland. So why the double standard now?