Police in Manchester have been told not to arrest Muslims wanted on warrants at prayer times during Ramadan.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed it had asked detectives not to make planned arrests during those periods for reasons of religious sensitivity.
The advice was emailed out to officers working in Moss Side, Hulme, Whalley Range, Rusholme, Fallowfield, Ardwick, Longsight, Gorton and Levenshulme.
Police said it was not a blanket ban, just a "request for sensitivity".
The email stressed the order did not apply to on-the-spot arrests, only the execution of arrest warrants.
"The primary objective of Greater Manchester Police is to fight crime and protect people"
GMP statement
The holy month of Ramadan began on 22 September and is due to end with the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr next week.
The internal email was sent to staff listing the prayer times, but confusion arose and a second memo was sent clarifying it was not a total ban on arresting Muslims at these times.
UPDATE - This chap seems to have the right idea :
Mr Shafiq said: "Greater Manchester Police have a history of policing the Muslim community with great sensitivity and understanding. That this idea was even thought of is shocking.
"I don't know where they get these ideas from and I'm glad an officer was clearly angry enough to leak the memo.
"Police shouldn't hesitate to arrest any Muslims they had planned to during Ramadan. We must all be equal under the law.
"If people think Muslims are immune from the law, it will only stir up tensions within the community."
Well, Of Course We Will, Emma…
7 hours ago
4 comments:
"..confusion arose and a second memo was sent clarifying it was not a total ban on arresting Muslims at these times."
Should I be glad that it wasn't a total ban on arresting Muslims during Ramadan, or concerned that apparently some police were too quick to believe it might be.....?
I wouldn't want to be a Manchester student during Ramadan - sounds like a good time to get mugged.
This issue has generated a lot of debate, but unfortunately much of it has been as a result of misinformation which has appeared in the media.
To clarify the actual situation, officers were never instructed not to make arrests. The month of Ramadan is an important time of the year for members of the Muslim community throughout the world. Officers were asked to be aware that this important religious festival is taking place and to ensure that they remain professional and respectful to member of the community when going about their duties.
This was unfortunately misinterpreted by some people, including certain elements of the media, which has resulted in some misunderstanding of the position. The primary objective of Greater Manchester Police is to fight crime and protect people and we will aim to continue to do so for all the people we serve, whatever their background.
Regards
GMP Press Office
Surely it would be the best time to catch them off guard.
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