Islamic police in the UK?

Question

a WPC refused to shake the hand of the commisioner or have her photo taken during her passing out parade as it was against her religion...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/22/nmuslim22.xml
Should the police in the UK follow western customs or follow Sharia? Would this further alienate the police? Is it a dangerous precendent?

Answer 1

No, she should be challenged.
She should be asked to show where it is said in her religion that she cannot shake the hand of a man in respect, or at all.

I for one, having read the Qur'an have never heard such a nonsense. Even at worst, touching a person who is "unclean" requires nothing more than to wash.
Not shaking his hand for any other reason is deeply offensive and she should be acted apon for it.

Answer 2

Why? As for the nun, we don't see her as oppressed because we know that she has chosen a religious life. Also, at least in America, a nun's habit is sort of seen like a uniform. She is considered pious and devoting herself to god, yes, but not because she wears the habit. She is considered pious and devoted to God because she has given up a "normal" life in order to serve God. As for Mary, we don't see her as oppressed because that is just how everyone dressed back then. It seems out of place to us in the west to see it it modern times. As a woman, I'm torn about the hijaab. When a muslim woman chooses that for herself, then I respect her choice. I can even see the beauty of her choice. There is a part of me that would enjoy being able to walk in public without feeling like I am being mentally undressed by certain people. What bothers me is that sometimes it seems that the woman doesn't really have a choice, that she is being forced to wear it. Sometimes it seems that the reason is not about Allah (pbuh) at all, but because men think women are wild animals that need to kept on a short leash. I don't know if that is true, but it seems that way. Hope that makes sense!

Answer 3

I don't care if she shakes the commisioner's hand or not, but won't there be times when she will have to 'touch' men during her duties. Even if she feels it is different having to handle men during arrests and so on, how about when she is dealing with non-criminal members of the community. I can imagine lots of times when she might have to shake someone's hand and will offend people if she doesn't. The police do a lot of community work these days.

Answer 4

Why not (in your words) > Islamic Police < ? We have Catholic police, amongst others.

As far as I am concerned ~ and we are talking about 'Policing by Consent' here ~ if an "Officer of the Law" is not able to assist and protect me (as Citizen & general member of the Public) should the situation be called for, then s/he is as the saying goes, 'Is NOT fit for the purpose' and should be removed from the job.

The 'Police' (consider just what that word actually means) are in place to carry out the requirements of the Law as it exsists within the land (for want of the correct words / terminology)

Sash.

Answer 5

Not really. The observance of religious or cultural beliefs by Police Officers is not likely to cause problems - not shaking the Commissioners hand or havign your photo taken, or being vegetarian for instance is not going to contradict any rules by wihich the police are controlled. In fact this person may be ideally positioned to giver the police an insight into their local communities that as a white, western european, they may miss completely. As long as religious or cultural beliefs don't interfere with the work they are undertaking - then nobody should have any problems with this. We need a police force that reflects the cultural diversity found in the society they are sworn to protect, or how else can they hope to fairly and adequately serve all.

Answer 6

The WPC in this case is an extreme example and does not represent the views or customs of other Muslim policemen/women.
So why worry unless one reads rags like the Daily Mail?

Answer 7

If we had islamic laws in this country then that would be acceptable. However, we have UK laws and obviously some EC laws as well. We can't have double laws for muslims, otherwise I will demand that a separate law is drawn up for me because I don't want to pay tax as my religion forbids me from paying tax (I can create some religion). Now that wouldn't be fair, would it? This is not a muslim country, this is a Church of England country and we must remember that laws have been set up in this country before the muslims arrived. We mustn't forget that we have closer ties to the European Union (again, non-muslim countries, unless they finally admit Turkey into it - I hope not) and we have to conform to some EC laws as well. Muslims are such a minority that it is not reasonable to have double standards or double laws set up.

Answer 8

Let us for a minute put the boot on the other foot. How do you think the police in Iran would feel if they had a white woman Christian recruit who refused to cover her head and simply commented that because she was a Christian the rules did not apply to her ?

We should have Christian police in a Christian country. No conflicts. We should not recruit people with any strong religious beliefs that may conflict with the mainstream, or for that matter conflict with what we in the civilised world regard as basic good manners.

Answer 9

I have no problem with a a follower of Islam becoming a police officer, even though I would like answers to some of the previous answers to this question.
My real concern is that they would be dictated to by their mosque's which could stop them doing their job without divided loyalties and not our safety and protection as their first concern.

Answer 10

This woman is in the UK police force and should act and dress like everyone else.Hospitals are going down the same road it is quite common now to see nurses with faces partially covered and being given special treatment when it comes to tasks.