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Blair Unveils Sweeping Anti-terror Measures
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"Let no one be in any doubt that the rules of the game are changing," a stern Blair said. (Blair)
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Additional
Reporting by Mohammad Sabry, IOL Staff
LONDON,
August 5, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – British Prime
Minister Tony Blair unveiled Friday, August 5, new sweeping
anti-terror powers that include deporting and excluding foreigners who
are accused of "condoning and inciting violence" and closing
worship places used for "fomenting terrorism".
"Anyone
who has participated in terrorism or has anything to do with it,
anywhere, will automatically be refused asylum in our country,"
Blair said at his final Downing Street press conference before going
into leave, Agence France Presse (AFP) said.
"Coming
to Britain is not a right and even when people have come here, staying
here carries with it a duty. That duty is to share and support the
values that sustain the British way of life."
The
measures will also include stripping people of their British
nationality if proved acting against British interests, the British
Premier said.
"Let
no one be in any doubt that the rules of the game are changing,"
a stern Blair warned.
For
British nationals, the government would extend the use of so-called
"control orders", which currently allow measures such as
limited house arrest for foreign nationals suspected of terrorism.
Worship
Places
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"Banning Hizb ut-Tahrir is certainly not the solution and may well prove to be counterproductive," Sacranie said.
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The
new anti-terror measures will also include the closure of worship
places used for what Blair described as "fomenting
terrorism".
"We
will establish, with the Muslim community, a commission to advise on
how, consistent with people's complete freedom to worship in the way
they want, and to follow their own religion and culture, there is
better integration of those parts of the community presently
inadequately integrated."
He
said the Muslim leaders will be asked to draw up a list of people
"not fit to preach" to be excluded.
"The
Muslim community, I should emphasize, has been and is our partner in
this endeavor," Blair said.
When
asked by IslamOnline.net if the Muslim minority was consulted on the
new move, Anas Al-Tikriti, the former president of the Muslim
Association of Britain (MAB), denied being consulted on the step.
He
rather said Blair is yet to approach the minority's leaders to discuss
the issue.
"Counter-Productive"
Blair
also said the British government will ban two Muslim groups operating
in Britain as part of the new anti-terror measures, Reuters said.
"We
will proscribe Hizb ul-Tahrir and the successor organization of al
Muhajiroun."
But
the Muslim Council of Britain, the main Muslim body in the country,
said the ban would be "counter productive".
"Banning
Hizb ut-Tahrir is certainly not the solution and may well prove to be
counterproductive. We understand that Hizb ut-Tahrir in the United
Kingdom are an avowedly non-violent group," Sir Iqbal Sacranie,
the MCB Secretary-General said in a statement, published Friday on the
MCB Web site.
"If
there are groups that are thought to be contravening our laws, then
they ought to be prosecuted in courts of law, not driven underground.
Our democratic values need to be upheld, not undermined.”
The
MCB further said it would seek clarification from the government to
ensure that expressions of support for people who are living under
brutal military occupation is not to be outlawed.
"That
would be completely unacceptable. Our faith of Islam commands us to
speak out against injustice wherever it occurs. To prohibit support
for oppressed peoples would make us complicit in the injustice and
would have dire consequences for the upholding of international
legality.”
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