Scotland’s Muslim police
A Police Association for Muslims is being set up by Strathclyde police in Scotland in an attempt to recruit and retain more young Muslims to the force. Police authorities hope the group will help tackle Islamophobia and improve understanding of Islam.
Strathclyde Police, which has more than 7000 officers, is said to have only about 30 Muslim officers. The reason for this is partly due to suspicion between police and young Muslims who say they feel targeted by intrusive policing.
One Muslim police officer believes that suspicion of Muslims has increased since the 9/11 attack, London tube bombings and Glasgow Airport attempted bombings. It is hoped to help dispel this suspicion by recruiting more Muslim officers to sensitively police their own communities.
