It seems that maybe I just fit the terrorist profile too well because again, on my way to work; I was stopped under that now infamous law, The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2001.

As soon as I was approached by the policeman I knew what the reason was, I said “again? This is the second time in two weeks” the police officer looked straight at me and apologised and tried and failed to reassure me that their searching was random…I said, “this is not random, how many 1000’s of people come through here everyday and I get chosen twice in two weeks?”

Again I was searched at the busiest time of the day, at the busiest place in the train station, in front of everyone’s glare and again, I felt the same embarrassment I did two weeks ago. This time I was not even given the courtesy of being told the exact reason for my search (even though we both knew). The police officer, well, lets give him his correct title, The ‘Community Support Officer’ just took notes and asked me a few questions, he searched in my bag in a very ‘matey matey’ way that seemed almost blasé and then handed me my second stop and search ticket in two weeks.

The police officer who stopped me two weeks ago (PO 1) was very thorough, I will give him that, but none of the process that seemed to be followed by PO 1 two weeks ago, we to be seen in PO2. Maybe proper police officers get better and different training to the Community Support Officer’s…the difference was very apparent.

I wonder how many other brothers are being regularly searched in train stations around the UK…maybe many.!, it does feel like harassment and I do feel like I am being watched and judged whenever I travel by public transport. It is a very strange feeling, I must admit, to be English, white, in the second city in England, and yet feel so alien – all because I fit the profile of some crazy terrorist. And it’s not as if the profile is even sophisticated…Its not, it seems to be anyone who looks Muslim gets stopped and embarrassed in front of society, there and then. It’s not a psychological profile, it is simply appearance.

How long must we live like this? I don’t remember the Irish community going through this type of mass suspicion.

tag: terror, terrorism, stop and search, police, politics, muslim, , islam

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