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Civil Liberties
Respect condemns the July 7 2005 terrorist attack on London, which killed innocent people – men and women, black and white, on their way to work. We also condemn the war-drive, which created the conditions for it, and the shoot-to-kill response of the Metropolitan Police. Jean Charles de Menezes was killed in cold blood. His death epitomised the way New labour is using the war on terror to attack civil liberties, strengthen police powers, and criminalise communities.

Bush and Blair’s “war on terror” has spawned repeated attacks on civil liberties and human rights across the globe. In Britain New Labour has repeatedly attacked civil liberties and democratic rights since 9/11:

> Special powers were established introducing indefinite detention without trial for foreign nationals. These powers contravened the European Convention on Human Rights (ECOHR) and were declared illegal by the Law Lords. One of the lords declared that such attacks on human rights are more dangerous than terrorism itself. Withdrawal from the ECOHR has been considered.

> These measures were replaced by powers allowing the detention of both foreign nationals and British citizens under house arrest, or other restrictions, on the word of the Home Secretary.

> Detention without charge after arrest has been extended to 28 days under the Terrorism Bill (2005).

> The “glorification of terrorism” has been made a criminal offence.

> ID cards involve mass DNA profiling and goes alongside unprecedented levels of surveillance and data collection.

Muslims in particular feel the sharp end of these measures. They are demonised by Islamophobia and subject to “guilt by association”. Government minister Hazel Blears has said that it is inevitable that disproportionately more Muslims will be stopped and searched by the police under anti-terrorism legislation. That is exactly what has happened.

Respect says that repressive laws are the wrong approach to the problem of terrorism. They make matters worse and should be scrapped. The need is to tackle the root causes of terrorism not the symptoms of it – “drain the swamp” as Respect often puts it.

RESPECT SAYS:

> Oppose Islamophobia and the demonisation of Muslim communities.

> End detention without trial.

> No ambiguous offence of “glorification of terror”.

> No detention without charge beyond seven days.

> No withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights.

> No ID cards.
 

News and articles of interest

Here are some articles and news reports we think are worth looking at

From Triumph to Torture by John Pilger
Two weeks ago, I presented a young Palestinian, Mohammed Omer, with the 2008 Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism. Awarded in memory of the great US war correspondent, the prize goes to journalists who expose establishment propaganda, or "official drivel", as Gellhorn called it.

SATs school tests criticised by official report by Harvey Thompson and Linda Slattery
In May, millions of school children throughout England undertook their Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) in English, mathematics and science. The statutory tests are widely considered to be flawed and almost universally reviled by teachers and children alike.

Health: Who asked for choice? - Morning Star
IF Health Minister Ben Bradshaw believes that there is political capital to be made by taking on our NHS doctors, he will quickly come unstuck.

Afghanistan troop deaths outnumber those in Iraq by Angela Balakrishnan and agencies
Militants in Afghanistan killed more US and Nato troops than those in Iraq in June after a fresh spate of rebel attacks that highlighted the growing strength of the Taliban.

Iran legally entitled to develop nuclear energy, says UK MP
Iran is legally entitled to develop nuclear energy under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, according to a British MP visiting Tehran for the first time. George Galloway, who was expelled from Britain's ruling Labor Party for his outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, also criticized the hypocrisy of Israel's belligerence towards Iran, which has its own illegal stockpile of nuclear weapons.

In the Cause of Fear and Ignorance by John Pilger
Muslims are alone as they watch the British state, with its "obstinate incomprehension" of their faith, do to them as it would never do to those of other faiths. Imagine Jews treated this way. You cannot imagine it; the profanity is too great. The silence of British Jews, who have the history, is also great.

Migrant Myths by Adam Ford
As part of her degree course, Kurdish migrant Filiz Celik researched the conditions that workers from overseas face in the United Kingdom. The full text of her study can be read here, but this summary by Adam Ford gives some idea of the reality behind the media-generated myths.

Tesco shareholders reject TV chef's chicken welfare call
Tesco shareholders today voted against a resolution from TV cook Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall which called for the retail giant to improve its chicken-rearing standards.

Academies expelled 10,000 pupils
Academies have been accused of excluding disproportionately high numbers of students after it emerged that they excluded nearly 10,000 pupils for poor behaviour last year.

Let companies run state schools for profit, says Sir Simon Milton
Private companies should be allowed to run state schools at a profit and be free to dismiss teachers who are not up to the job, the head of the Local Government Association (LGA) said yesterday.

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