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Muslim anger at sniffer dogs at station
7:48pm Thursday 26th June 2008
Muslims travelling on trains from Brighton have objected to sniffer dogs being used to search them for drugs and bombs.
The trial by the British Transport Police (BTP) on all rail passengers travelling through the station prompted complaints from some Muslims who said their religion did not allow direct contact with dogs.
The findings, outlined in a Government report, showed that in another trial on the Heathrow Express platform at London's Paddington station, body scanners were considered unacceptable on religious grounds by female Muslims.
The report on five rail security trials conducted in 2006 and the public's response to them also revealed that some Asians and black people felt they could be selected for tests because of their ethnicity or because screening staff saw them as potential terrorists.
But the BTP said that despite being conscious of other people's beliefs, no-one would be absolved of the security checks on religious grounds.
A BTP spokesman said: "We are obviously aware of, and sensitive to, cultural sensitivities.
"BTP officers do have the power to stop and search anyone under section 44 of the Terrorism Act.
"This also covers the use of dog handlers and dogs, which are used to indicate any substance they have been trained to detect.
"As a force we obviously look at feedback about how people from all faiths and backgrounds view the use of dogs and how we can incorporate that into how the dogs and their handlers interact with people."
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Adam, Hove says...
8:34pm Thu 26 Jun 08
dont care wrote:I totally agree with you! Religion is not an excuse for not being scanned.
what a load of rubbish.oohhh cant treat muslims different because that would breach their human rights.whatever,if we christians have to deal with it so should they.why are they always moaning about their religion.thats how places get bombed,because they all hide under the muslim dress and humam rights.why should they be any differnt just because they muslims.so what.im not racist before you all moan and whinge.i just belive we are in a society where we ALL have to be checked and body searched,NOONE SHOULD BE EXEMPT because of their religion.
Jayne, Alive says...
8:45pm Thu 26 Jun 08
Eco Man, Kemp Town says...
9:14pm Thu 26 Jun 08
melfromhove, hove says...
10:10pm Thu 26 Jun 08
Blonde Guy, brighton says...
10:21pm Thu 26 Jun 08
I would be happy that my journey was safe and would co-operate as quickly as pos so they could get on with finding someone that might endanger everyone else.
These people that are complaining are only giving fuel to the bigots that assume everyone muslim or arab is a threat!
sm, says...
10:26pm Thu 26 Jun 08
they wouldn't even be able to tie their shoelaces together let alone have the intelligence to blow something up.
If the majority of terrosists were blonde like me, they'd be too busy driving their BMW Z3's
If the majority of terrosists were blonde like me they'd be too busy doing their make up to worry about bombings
If the majority of terrosists were blonde like me terrorism would just be SOOOOOO fabulous.
If the majority of terrosists were blonde like me........
Dodgy, hove says...
10:49pm Thu 26 Jun 08
Lets not forget the famous Mr Mandela who was locked up for terrorism too.
B G Gruff, Hove says...
10:55pm Thu 26 Jun 08
Gentleman Jim, Brighton says...
11:37pm Thu 26 Jun 08
Deano, Brighton says...
11:51pm Thu 26 Jun 08
Would the Muslim community expect security checks to be aimed at anybody but Muslims? Leaving the fundamental Muslims to continue with their atrocities, what complete madness? Get the Muslim house in order and then there is an argument, until then all citizens of the UK have a right to be protected against such actions.
Ben E., Canada says...
12:38am Fri 27 Jun 08
William of Orange, Brighton says...
6:15am Fri 27 Jun 08
Am I bovverred!
Well I'm upset at seeing my countrymen smeared all over the pavement after their extremists have done their work! Now THAT "bovvers" me!
louise, Guadalajara, Mexico says...
6:44am Fri 27 Jun 08
Ben E. wrote:How is a positive initiative screening against potential suicide bombers being a group of sheep? Or are we supposed to pretend that the British Government has invented the war in Iraq, and that everything that's happened since 9/11 has in fact been a lie to oppress us all?
Brits are no longer \"people\", they have allowed themselves to become \"sheeple\". The land that gave us the Mother of Parliaments, magna carta, habeas corpus, \"a man\'s home is his castle\", etc., etc. has become the police state that George Orwell wrote about in his novel \"1984\"--all he got wrong was the year. Your willingness to give up personal freedoms and adopt a bunker mentality will be the ruin of a great civilization.
With all due respect Ben E from Canada, get some realism in your life!
1984 is a great piece of literature - but you shouldn't let it allow you to be swept away!
belz michaels, Eastbourne says...
7:55am Fri 27 Jun 08
Perhaps a label on the dogs saying: I am a canine.
andy, worthing says...
8:11am Fri 27 Jun 08
Ben E. wrote:I'm sure all the people in the Twin Towers on that fateful day and the victims of the tube bombings would have been happy to give up personal freedoms and adopt a bunker mentality if it meant still being alive or un maimed !! Too much bending over backwards to please these so called minorities. I love the Aussie rules "don't like it? Get out"
Brits are no longer "people", they have allowed themselves to become "sheeple". The land that gave us the Mother of Parliaments, magna carta, habeas corpus, "a man's home is his castle", etc., etc. has become the police state that George Orwell wrote about in his novel "1984"--all he got wrong was the year. Your willingness to give up personal freedoms and adopt a bunker mentality will be the ruin of a great civilization.
spy3, brighton says...
8:13am Fri 27 Jun 08
Rhinofish, Hove says...
8:17am Fri 27 Jun 08
Yes the ANC were notoroius for blowing up electricity pylons.
Are you advocating a return to aparteid Dodgy?
Scuff, Brighton says...
9:47am Fri 27 Jun 08
I thought I was reading the argus page but I seemed to have accidentally slipped over to The Sun!
Anyway, my response to this story: If sniffer dogs arent allowed to search everyone there is no point in having them. Bear in mind they are there to sniff out drugs as well as bombs. Whilst BTP are forced to be mindful of other religions people must also be mindful of our interests in security. It does seem all too easy to play the race card these days, imagine if the Irish had tried to use a similar excuse. They would have been arrested and searched on the spot!
Having said that I very much doubt that "some muslims" is refference to more than perhaps 2, which is hardly a reflection of the entire muslim community in GB. Another wonderful piece of reporting thats widening the gap between our cultures.
Hob Knob Bob, Brighton says...
10:00am Fri 27 Jun 08
So surely the police should immediately arrest all people with chemistry GCSEs and hold them for 42 days without charge.
That includes Stephen Hawking and The Doc off of that Saturday morning kid's TV show. I always knew there was something dodgy about him as he made things blow up live on tv to indoctrinate the nation's kids.
Ed Can Do, Brighton says...
11:11am Fri 27 Jun 08
Nevahwen, at my desk says...
11:15am Fri 27 Jun 08
As if the dogs are interested in whom they find explosives. Regardless of gender, race or creed: if you don't smell of explosives and you're not carrying them then the dog doesn't even go near you.
The LJ Kid., Portsmouth says...
11:56am Fri 27 Jun 08
Nevahwen
Ridiculous! As if the dogs are interested in whom they find explosives. Regardless of gender, race or creed: if you don't smell of explosives and you're not carrying them then the dog doesn't even go near you.
I almost completely agree with you there.
Just one thing - that applies to drugs too... :)
It may be against their religion. Then again, it may not. If it was, don't you think that we'd have heard about this before?
I'd rather spend less than a minute being sniffed by a dog than causing a huge block-up for queues, and kicking up a fuss.
It doesn't rewally make you seem more innocent does it.. ?
Junk, Punk says...
3:14pm Fri 27 Jun 08
Ed Can Do wrote:...that's because certain dogs are trained for specific tasks. Not all dogs are trained to junkies like you. Some are trained for the many kinds of explosives instead.
To be fair, those police sniffer dogs are pretty pointless. I walked straight past three of them the other day with half an ounce of coke in my bag and they didn't bat an eyelid.
Mick, Kent says...
3:42pm Fri 27 Jun 08
Peter Piper, Picking Pickled Peppers says...
4:29pm Fri 27 Jun 08
Dodgy wrote:But he never re-offended did he? A proving point that prison does work
One would think that muslims are born terrorists. Such short memories you all have...whatever happened to the way you used to hate the Irish and blame all of them for anything the IRA. did?? Ignorance. Lets not forget the famous Mr Mandela who was locked up for terrorism too.
M J Murray, Hove says...
6:04pm Fri 27 Jun 08
"I took grave exception to the 2974 killed and the 24 missing, presumed dead, in the Muslim extremist attack on New York and the 52 killed and some 700 injured in the Muslim extremist attack on the London underground and bus.
National security in the face of worldwide Muslim extremism and the terrorist threat is of the utmost importance to every citizen of the United Kingdom.
If you do not like the security measures forced upon our democratic society by your fellow believers, you are free to leave and take up abode anywhere else on earth.
If you wish to remain, please cease the constant whinging and whining about your ethnicity and, or, religious sensitivities.
I dont particularly like having a dog sniffing at me but accept the necessity in the light of what Muslim fundamentalist fanatics have wrought upon the world."
ac, says...
10:49pm Fri 27 Jun 08
LOL, brighton says...
12:10am Sat 28 Jun 08
ac wrote:You were wrongly sniffed?
Once in France when I was traveling in a coach we were stop for a police patrol and I was wrongly sniffed by a police dog which was attracked to my wrapped sandwich so I have to empty the content of everything I was carrying. It was humiliating, it makes you feel like a criminal, waste of people time, and reinforce the police state in which we're living today.
ac, says...
8:28am Sat 28 Jun 08
LOL wrote:Yea ... that was so funny that I hope it happens to you :P
ac wrote: Once in France when I was traveling in a coach we were stop for a police patrol and I was wrongly sniffed by a police dog which was attracked to my wrapped sandwich so I have to empty the content of everything I was carrying. It was humiliating, it makes you feel like a criminal, waste of people time, and reinforce the police state in which we're living today.You were wrongly sniffed?
ac, says...
8:31am Sat 28 Jun 08
rachel wrote:Just to remind you the majority of muslim living here are British :)
I'm sick of Muslims for being so ungrateful about the way they feel they are treated saying that there human rights are being breached , don't they want to help stop terrorism ? and if they cant integrate in this country then go to a country where there religion is prominent then. It seems we would all be better off without there constant demands and i want to say put up or shut up.
Angela, Brighton says...
4:04pm Sat 28 Jun 08
ac wrote:I think there is a big difference between holding a British passport, and being British.
rachel wrote: I'm sick of Muslims for being so ungrateful about the way they feel they are treated saying that there human rights are being breached , don't they want to help stop terrorism ? and if they cant integrate in this country then go to a country where there religion is prominent then. It seems we would all be better off without there constant demands and i want to say put up or shut up.Just to remind you the majority of muslim living here are British :)
As these muslim moaners are clearly not happy with our British ways, they should get a ticket to Iraq or somewhere. It does seem a popular place with muslims from what I understand.
ac, says...
5:18pm Sat 28 Jun 08
It never occurs to you that the way some British Muslims are reacting it's perhaps the natural reaction as how they have been discriminated and treated in the first place?
Kickboxer, Worthing says...
6:45pm Sat 28 Jun 08
ac, says...
7:05pm Sat 28 Jun 08
ac, says...
7:19pm Sat 28 Jun 08
Kickboxer, Worthing says...
8:14pm Sat 28 Jun 08
ac wrote:It's not white British people trying to blow each other to bits is it!!!!!!!!!!!. When British Muslims act like British muslims instead of demanding their own laws and claiming discrimination at every opportunity then people may see them as equals.
Did you ask as well what you Muslim friend think about the other whining and whinging British?. Perhaps when you learn to talk to the British Muslims as equals then you might realize there were nothing to be afraid and to sort out in the first place.
ac, says...
9:04pm Sat 28 Jun 08
D Siade, Hove says...
10:49pm Sat 28 Jun 08
ac wrote:I happen to be a muslim and I agree with kickboxer I love Great Britain but I am sad at the people who do not want to make an effort to fit in. although I am a fully practicing muslim I am happy to abide by the laws of Great Britain as should every one else. As has been said elsewhere on this site if you done like the law and the efforts to uphold it you are free to leave and go to a country where you do like the law.
Thanks for reducing the discussion to a personal insults, that well show the kind of minority I was talking about. Sort out your prejudices!
Dodgy, hove says...
10:29am Sun 29 Jun 08
Spanish Gentleman, says...
10:50am Sun 29 Jun 08
ac wrote:You can remind all you like mate, but neither the majority of us or them will ever believe that.
rachel wrote: I'm sick of Muslims for being so ungrateful about the way they feel they are treated saying that there human rights are being breached , don't they want to help stop terrorism ? and if they cant integrate in this country then go to a country where there religion is prominent then. It seems we would all be better off without there constant demands and i want to say put up or shut up.Just to remind you the majority of muslim living here are British :)
You and your Emperors New Clothes gang who are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best, are destroying this country.
Without mass immigration we would not even have to have this debate. End it now and end multiculturalism.
ac, says...
3:19pm Sun 29 Jun 08
Bernard Saint, BATTERSEA says...
1:59am Mon 30 Jun 08
Bert in NZ, Brighton says...
4:55am Thu 3 Jul 08
David Lodge, London says...
8:22pm Sun 6 Jul 08
David Lodge, London says...
8:39pm Sun 6 Jul 08
The fact of the matter is that muslims are very high profile in this country, they cant hide here. They should remember that they just need to think about what they will do when white people decide that the government isnt protecting them. I can tell you what will happen, just like in the 1970's and 80's you will get gangs that say they are protecting areas from asians and muslims in particular. They will setup no-go areas for anyone who isnt white just like began to happen in the late 60's to early 1980's
The BNP is on the rise in this country and you arent going to like it
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dont care, hove says...
8:22pm Thu 26 Jun 08