British Muslims banned from carrying national flags

1/13/2005 9:00:00 AM GMT

Source: scotsman.com

Police in the United Kingdom prohibited Muslims from waving national flags at their celebrations of Eid-Al-Adha later this month.

Police officials claim that carrying national flags during Eid-Al-Adha celebrations in Southall, London, would increase tensions and warned that those who will persist may be arrested for violating the rules.

The Muslim Council of Britain strongly criticized the move.

Sadiq Khan, the head of the council’s legal affairs committee, said; “This is the first time I can recall someone being prohibited from waving a national flag in a public place, other than a sports occasion, in the mainland UK.

“I can’t see the legal justification for this. If it is the case that the police are concerned to prevent anti-social behavior then the way to do that is to stop people firing fireworks after midnight or beeping their horns late at night.

“I’m unclear how the carrying of national flags causes anti-social behavior and I think it’s slightly odd. Whether you agree or disagree with the way people celebrate a festival they are not doing anything against the law.” He added.

Police in the London borough of Ealing, who requested the ban, say that the feast celebrations on January 21 and 22 are faith celebrations and therefore aren’t related to national flags.

Moreover, they said that if people insisted on holding the flags, the police might seize them and return it back to them when the celebrations end.

A spokesman for the police said; “Persistent breach of the peace may lead to an arrest. Local community representatives have been consulted on our policing strategy. They fully support our tackling of anti-social behavior to help preserve the dignity of this religious occasion.

“In the past, incidents have shown that the waving of national flags at celebrations of events like National Independence Days, cricket matches or religious festivals have caused distress and disruption to the community.

“This has sometimes led to the incitement of violence, racial tension and breaches of peace between groups in the Southall area and it is this sort of incident that the local community and the police would very much like to avoid.” He added.