New Terrorism Law!

[Abdur_Rahman]

Straw defends new terrorism powers

The act replaces the 1973 Prevention of Terrorism Act

Home Secretary Jack Straw has defended a new anti-terrorism law which gives sweeping powers to crackdown on any groups that use Britain as a base for international terrorism.
New legislation, which came into effect on Monday, makes it illegal for anyone in Britain to incite terrorism abroad.

It is very important that we should have similar kind of powers to those of other countries

Jack Straw
The Terrorism Act also changes the definition of terrorist, which previously focused largely on Irish paramilitaries.

The law gives police increased powers to seize assets and arrest those they believe may be promoting terrorism outside Britain.

Mr Straw said the law brought Britain into line with other countries and into line with the Human Rights Act.

Important powers

"We have narrowed the definition but broadened its scope away from just Irish terrorism to any other kind of terrorism because frankly there are other types of terrorists these days and it is very important that we should have similar kind of powers to those of other countries."

But civil rights groups have expressed concern with the legislation suggesting that it could stop legitimate protests, such as those against road building or GM crop trials.

Mr Straw rejected their criticism. "This bill actually strengthens people's civil liberties," he said.

Jack Straw said the act gave police extra powers

"In many ways, it is a strengthening of civil liberties but also a strengthening of important powers against terrorists."

The law replaces the 1973 Prevention of Terrorism Act, which gave the police special powers to stop, search, arrest and detain terrorist suspects, and had to be renewed each year.

The law has been introduced partly in response to complaints from foreign governments that Britain is harbouring groups that are carrying out violent campaigns in their countries.

Arrest

Under the new law, fundraising and openly supporting groups involved in terrorism will lead to arrest.

The Act makes it illegal to plan a violent campaign, even if it is carried out abroad.

Previously, foreigners in Britain who may have been planning attacks abroad had the right to stay, provided they could convince the courts they would be persecuted if they were sent home.

It is thought that representatives of several international groups could fall foul of the new rules.

The government is drawing up a list of groups which it considers to be terrorist under the new legislation.

They will be added to a list of proscribed organisations, which currently includes Irish groups such as the IRA and the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Protest groups such as militant animal rights organisations could be included.



Simon Hughes:worried by new Act

Cyber-terrorists who hack into computers to undermine governments or threaten lives are also targeted.

Speaking to BBC News, Mr Straw said: "The results of cyber-terrorism by which people could hack into the control systems of, say, the water supply, the electricity supply, those operating a hospital could be worse even than those caused directly by explosion so we have had to include that in there."

Once an organisation is on the list, it is illegal to be a member of the group, support it financially, display its emblems or share a platform with a member at a meeting of three or more people.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Simon Hughes said his party had serious reservations about some parts of the legislation.

Most worrying was the wide definition of terrorism, which he believed could easily be used to stifle legitimate protest.

"If you are a trade union leader calling for a strike at a hospital you would effectively be caught by the legislation," he said.

The leader of the Muslim Parliament, Dr Ghayasauddin Siddiqui, told BBC News that many British Asians would feel intimidated by the new laws.

[Abdur_Rahman]

Lets see if Omar Bakri and Co. get lockt up, since they do fall within these new laws!!!!!

Monday, 19 February, 2001, 09:46 GMT
British Muslims 'fear' new terrorism law

By the BBC's Naresh Puri
British Muslims fear widespread arrests with the introduction of the new Anti Terrorism Act in the UK

The legislation bans fundraising and support for groups deemed terrorists and British citizens who incite terrorist activities abroad could now face arrest.

This has angered Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, the leader of Al Muhajiroun, a radical Muslim group which openly calls for conflict with the occupiers of Muslim lands and has a strong British base.

This new law means nothing, we have to abide by the teachings of Islam

British Muslim Omar Brooks
He said: "This law is a threat to Muslims. We abide by Islamic law and we condemn terrorism, but we have to support the freedom fighters who are involved in wars with the occupiers of the Palestine, Chechnya and Kashmir."

Omar Bakri Muhammad said hundreds of British Muslims had trained in military camps abroad and had moved on to areas of conflict.

One such person is Omar Brooks, a young man from north London.

"I've received military training in the Indian sub-continent and my role now is to face the enemies of Islam," he said.

"This new law means nothing, we have to abide by the teachings of Islam. We're being oppressed and persecuted in many countries, we have to defend our people".

Arms and ammunition

But some Muslims fear arrest. Omar Bakri Muhammad said he was going on a short holiday and thought he would be targeted by British police.

He has featured in talks between the British and Indian authorities.

The Indians say terrorist organisations fighting in Kashmir have direct links with groups here.

They say money is raised at a small number of mosques and sent to areas like Kashmir to buy arms and ammunition.



Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed fears arrest

"We are very concerned," said India's deputy high commissioner Hardeep Singh Puri.

"There are a number of organisations who are murdering innocent civilians in Kashmir and there's strong evidence that they have a British connection.

"We would like to see tough action taken against people here involved in terrorism abroad."

The British Government is drawing up a list of organisations which will be banned.

There is pressure to include groups involved in the Kashmir conflict as well as those involved in terrorism in the Middle East.

The Tamil Tigers, who are fighting for a separate homeland in Sri Lanka, are thought to be high on the list of groups facing a total ban.

The message from Omar Bakri Muhammad and his members is they will continue their activities: if they are targeted they will simply go underground.

[yasmin]

You have to take the consequences of your actions. So if you support these terrorist groups then you have to pay.

Just becos you feel it is justified to kill ppl does'nt mean that others should stand by and let it happen. Therefore I support the government 100 percent. Why should muslims feel victimised by this new legislation? It'll affect other ppl as well including cyber terrorists, environmentalists, animal rights activists, IRA terrorists and any other organisation who use terrorist activity to further their cause.

[Nur]

Originally posted by yasmin
You have to take the consequences of your actions. So if you support these terrorist groups then you have to pay.

Just becos you feel it is justified to kill ppl does'nt mean that others should stand by and let it happen. Therefore I support the government 100 percent. Why should muslims feel victimised by this new legislation? It'll affect other ppl as well including cyber terrorists, environmentalists, animal rights activists, IRA terrorists and any other organisation who use terrorist activity to further their cause.

Assalamu alaikum,
Sister can I ask you something? When Hitler was in france, do you think the "french resistance" was a terrorist group or did they have the right to fight the germans and free their homeland?

[Nur]

Originally posted by yasmin
You have to take the consequences of your actions. So if you support these terrorist groups then you have to pay.

Just becos you feel it is justified to kill ppl does'nt mean that others should stand by and let it happen. Therefore I support the government 100 percent. Why should muslims feel victimised by this new legislation? It'll affect other ppl as well including cyber terrorists, environmentalists, animal rights activists, IRA terrorists and any other organisation who use terrorist activity to further their cause.

Assalamu alikum,
Considering that there is a UN resolution against Israel, and the fact that the israelis kill palestinian childern with exploding bullets according to BBC news and international news i ngeneral, do you think that the palestinian people who were displaced by the criminal israeils have a right to fight bac? And in Occupied Palestine do you consider the israelis to be the terrorists or the ten year old muslim children who are throwing stones which never reach the israeli soldiers? Do you think that its ok for someone who is responsible for the massacre of 17,000 muslims and someone who started the recent troubles in Occupied Palestine, to be the leader of Occupied Palestine?

Do you think its ok for israeli soldiers to respond to symboic stone throwing by targeting the heads and chests of children with exploding bullets?

I just want to know who you class as terrorists as most muslims do not consider muslims fighting in response to attrocities against muslim children to be terrorists.

And brother my suspicion about Omar Bakri is that while other leaders will be arrested for their comments he will not be arrested. In fact if he is still signing on I don't think they will even put pressure on him by stopping his income support. Can somebody confirm when Omar Bakri was signing on whether he was actually looking for a job as it is the kuffar law in this country that one is only entitled to jobseekers allowance while looking for a job?

Perhaps brother Isa could answer this question!

[yasmin]

The French resistance were not a terrorist organisation becos their activities were supported by the French gov't and their actions were crucial in winning the war.

They were working mainly as spies and worked in conjunction with the allies.

Plus you are only looking at the small picture. It doesn't just affect muslims. The problem is also prevalent in othwer countries. The UK often find that certain countries are extremely un helpful when someone plants a bomb on a plane with many UK citizens on board. So if the UK government prevent ppl from doing things on this end then they are actively trying to reduce the terrorist threat.

[mhnew]

I think I agree partially with both views expressed here.

The law to repeal terrorism is justified if it is not used to target and harass any particular ethnic or religious group.

Britain will have to protect its citizens. However, the definition of terrorism is su\bjective and as such this will invariably lead to disputes and confrontation.

What I don't understand is how would the government determine if someone is guilty, if a group of men join togather and fundraise for Tamil victims of the Srilankan War and send the money to LTTE. Care to explain, anyone?

Note that I am commenting as an outsider and British citizens would probably know better.

Thanx.