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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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08 December 2005

ACTION ALERT: Demand Suspension of Police Officer for Desecrating Qu’ran

On the 31st of October 2005 police went to the house of Mr Muhammad Osman. Mr. Osman asked for the police officers’ name and badge number so he could write them down. Then, in an act reminiscent of the guards at Guantanamo Bay, the officer said to him ‘F*** you and your Qu’ran and then threw Mr. Osman’s Qu’ran and prayer mat in the rubbish bin. The officer also pushed him against the wall and stamped on him. Following a protest by Mr Osman, he was taken to the police station.

This incident is only the latest in a long line of Islamophobic abuse carried out by members of the police highlighting the increasing level of institutional Islamophobia in the police force.

IHRC urges all campaigners to:

a) To contact the Metropolitan Police Commissioner expressing your outrage about the incident and demanding the officer in question be suspended pending a full investigation:

Sir Ian Blair
Commissioner
Metropolitan Police Service
New Scotland Yard
Broadway
London
SW1H 0BG

commissioner@met.police.uk

b) Write to the Independent Police Complaints Commission politely asking that they conduct a rigorous investigation of the incident and ensure that any wrongdoers are held to account.

John Wadham
Deputy Chair
The Independent Police Complaints Commission
90 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6BH

enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk

Sample letters can be found below for your convenience.

Sample Letter 1
[Your Name]
[Your Address]

Sir Ian Blair
Metropolitan Police Service
New Scotland Yard
Broadway
London
SW1H 0BG

[Date]

Dear Sir Ian:
RE: Qur’an Desecration by Police Officer
I am writing to express my deep shock about an incident involving police officers physically and verbally abusing a Muslim, Muhammad Osman, then desecrating his Qur’an by throwing it in the bin.
I am deeply alarmed by this incident. Firstly, the Qur’an is a sacred text and must always be treated with respect. Throwing it in a bin is a grave insult which amounts to desecration. Given the incidents that occurred in Guantanamo Bay involving the desecration of the Qur’an, and the world wide condemnation of these acts, I am horrified that an incident of this nature could have happened here.
Therefore, I urge you to take appropriate measures to discipline the officers involved in this incident. To that end, I request that you suspend the officer pending a full investigation into the matter. If the Metropolitan police are serious about fostering relations of trust and confidence with the Muslim community it must ensure that acts such as these do not go unpunished.
Yours Sincerely,

Sample Letter 2

[Your Name]
[Your Address]

[Date]

John Wadham
Independent Police Complaints Commission
90 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6BH

Dear Mr Wadham:

Re: Qur’an Desecration by Police Officer

I am writing with reference to an incident involving Mr. Muhammad Osman who was harassed by the police. Shockingly one officer threw Mr. Osman’s Qur’an in the rubbish bin. This is particularly offensive as for Muslims the Qur’an is a sacred text and must be treated with due respect at all times.

I understand that the complaint is being dealt with by the IPCC. I urge to you to conduct a thorough independent investigation into this matter, and hold accountable those responsible for this act of depravity.

It is imperative for the sake of community relations that the police are held to account for such disgusting behaviour. It is the IPCC’s role to ensure this happens. I hope that the IPCC has learnt from its mistakes in the Babar Ahmad case and will in fact hold the police to account.

Yours Sincerely,

[Your Name]

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“And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper.”

Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75

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HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
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