Concerns grow over Stockwell killing
-23/07/05
Faith communities and civic groups are expressing concern about the shooting dead of an apparently unarmed Asian man at Stockwell station in central London yesterday. They are anxious that a shoot-to-kill policy against suspects will fuel tension and anger in the wake of the recent bombings in the capital.
According to eyewitnesses at Stockwell a man was seen racing down an escalator and onto a tube train at just after 10am yesterday. He was hotly pursued by security operatives who pinned him down at the entrance to a carriage and shot him in the head five times. An official enquiry has been launched.
In a brief news conference statement, senior police chief Sir Ian Blair said that it was unclear whether the man shot dead was linked to Thursdayís incidents. It has since emerged that he was not one of four men who planted devices on three underground trains and a bus on Thursday. But he may have been under surveillance at a nearby house.
Police say that the man refused to stop when challenged. Observers say he was not brandishing any kind of weapon and did not appear to have a package on him. No verbal warning has been reported prior to the killing.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone and local MP Kate Hoey were quick to back the action of the security services. ìIf you are dealing with someone who might be a suicide bomber, if they remain conscious they could trigger plastic explosives or whatever device is on them,î Mr Livingstone said. ìTherefore overwhelmingly in these circumstances it is going to be a shoot-to-kill policy.î
However, mainstream Muslim groups have expressed alarm about the events in Stockwell. A Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) spokesperson said many Muslims were now ìjumpy and nervousî and feared reprisal attacks.
Inayat Bunglawala declared: ìThere may well be reasons why the police felt it necessary to unload five shots into the man and shoot him dead, but they need to make those reasons clear.î
He added that the fact that the man has not been linked to Thursdayís attempted suicide attacks ìincreases the urgency of the question of why this man was shot dead instead of being disabled or arrested.î
Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission said: ìWe have raised concerns about the Met sending officers to learn from the Israelis about suicide bombers. They have a policy of assassinating people ñ why should our police learn these tactics and these values?î
In a bid to reassure Londonís black and Asian residents, Sir Ian Blair said that the police operation ìis not targeted against any community, or any section of the communityÖbut against criminals.î
However MCBís Inayat Bunglawala said: ìWe are getting phone calls from quite a lot of Muslims who are distressed about what may be a shoot-to-kill policy.î
The website Black Britain says it has received numerous calls from members of the black community following the incident, with one saying the police action amounted to ìan executionî.
Commented Simon Barrow, Co-Director of the UK Christian think-tank Ekklesia: ìWhile it is vital not to leap to conclusions before hearing from the official enquiry into the Stockwell shooting, we hope the authorities will step back from actions which feed a cycle of violence and fear following these terrible bombings.î
News of the Stockwell incident came shortly after church leaders urged Londoners to reject hatred and work for unity.
Speaking of the two waves of bombings, the Anglican Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, said: ìThese criminal actions are a call to Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Sikhs, people of every kind of faith and none, to reject the idolatrous fantasies which set community against community and to walk in the way of the spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.î
The Evangelical Alliance UK has encouraged Christians in the capital to pray for London and for the country. It has set up a special prayer initiative.
Meanwhile events in London have now been overshadowed by two bomb blasts at the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, killing some 85 people. A group called the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, al-Qaeda, in Syria and Egypt, said it carried out the attacks.
In October 2004, 34 people died in car and truck bomb blasts at Red Sea resorts on the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula. The previous worst attack in Egypt occurred in 1997, when 58 tourists and four Egyptians were killed near the southern city of Luxor.
Tourism is Egypt’s most lucrative industry, worth around 6.6 billion US dollars per year.
Concerns grow over Stockwell killing
-23/07/05
Faith communities and civic groups are expressing concern about the shooting dead of an apparently unarmed Asian man at Stockwell station in central London yesterday. They are anxious that a shoot-to-kill policy against suspects will fuel tension and anger in the wake of the recent bombings in the capital.
According to eyewitnesses at Stockwell a man was seen racing down an escalator and onto a tube train at just after 10am yesterday. He was hotly pursued by security operatives who pinned him down at the entrance to a carriage and shot him in the head five times. An official enquiry has been launched.
In a brief news conference statement, senior police chief Sir Ian Blair said that it was unclear whether the man shot dead was linked to Thursday’s incidents. It has since emerged that he was not one of four men who planted devices on three underground trains and a bus on Thursday. But he may have been under surveillance at a nearby house.
Police say that the man refused to stop when challenged. Observers say he was not brandishing any kind of weapon and did not appear to have a package on him. No verbal warning has been reported prior to the killing.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone and local MP Kate Hoey were quick to back the action of the security services. ‘If you are dealing with someone who might be a suicide bomber, if they remain conscious they could trigger plastic explosives or whatever device is on them,’ Mr Livingstone said. ‘Therefore overwhelmingly in these circumstances it is going to be a shoot-to-kill policy.’
However, mainstream Muslim groups have expressed alarm about the events in Stockwell. A Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) spokesperson said many Muslims were now ‘jumpy and nervous’ and feared reprisal attacks.
Inayat Bunglawala declared: ‘There may well be reasons why the police felt it necessary to unload five shots into the man and shoot him dead, but they need to make those reasons clear.’
He added that the fact that the man has not been linked to Thursday’s attempted suicide attacks ‘increases the urgency of the question of why this man was shot dead instead of being disabled or arrested.’
Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission said: ‘We have raised concerns about the Met sending officers to learn from the Israelis about suicide bombers. They have a policy of assassinating people – why should our police learn these tactics and these values?’
In a bid to reassure London’s black and Asian residents, Sir Ian Blair said that the police operation ‘is not targeted against any community, or any section of the communityÖbut against criminals.’
However MCB’s Inayat Bunglawala said: ‘We are getting phone calls from quite a lot of Muslims who are distressed about what may be a shoot-to-kill policy.’
The website Black Britain says it has received numerous calls from members of the black community following the incident, with one saying the police action amounted to ‘an execution’.
Commented Simon Barrow, Co-Director of the UK Christian think-tank Ekklesia: ‘While it is vital not to leap to conclusions before hearing from the official enquiry into the Stockwell shooting, we hope the authorities will step back from actions which feed a cycle of violence and fear following these terrible bombings.’
News of the Stockwell incident came shortly after church leaders urged Londoners to reject hatred and work for unity.
Speaking of the two waves of bombings, the Anglican Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, said: ‘These criminal actions are a call to Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Sikhs, people of every kind of faith and none, to reject the idolatrous fantasies which set community against community and to walk in the way of the spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.’
The Evangelical Alliance UK has encouraged Christians in the capital to pray for London and for the country. It has set up a special prayer initiative.
Meanwhile events in London have now been overshadowed by two bomb blasts at the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, killing some 85 people. A group called the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, al-Qaeda, in Syria and Egypt, said it carried out the attacks.
In October 2004, 34 people died in car and truck bomb blasts at Red Sea resorts on the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula. The previous worst attack in Egypt occurred in 1997, when 58 tourists and four Egyptians were killed near the southern city of Luxor.
Tourism is Egypt’s most lucrative industry, worth around 6.6 billion US dollars per year.