A ROW has broken out over the creation of Scotland's first faith-based police group.
The Muslim Police Association (MPA) is being set up in Strathclyde, which has about 30 Muslim officers, and it has the backing of Chief Constable Steven House.
But the government-funded organisation that represents black and minority ethnic (BME
) officers in Scotland says creating the MPA will "weaken" the voice of multiculturalism within the police service.
Semperscotland, which was formed five years to help eradicate institutional racism within the service, says the new association threatens to damage its ability to support the country's 200 BME officers and improve relations between the police and the diverse minority communities.
Dilawer Singh, who chairs Semperscotland, said: "I think the ethnic groups' cause as a whole will be better served if we have one group, as opposed to lots of different bodies."
Amar Shakoor, the Strathclyde constable who was Scotland's first Muslim officer, is spearheading the MPA plan. Yesterday, a request by The Scotsman to speak to him was turned down by Strathclyde Police.
But it is understood the association is being set up to provide Muslim officers with more support and improve relations between the police and the Muslim community, which were tested after last year's terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport.
Last week, PC Shakoor, a former member of Semperscotland, said his aim was to "put Islam in a positive light and tackle some of the Islamophobia".
Other Muslim officers and leading figures in the wider faith community say PC Shakoor's aims are laudable. But some are uneasy, believing it could be a divisive move and damage progress made to increase understanding of different minority cultures within the police.
Mr Singh, who became Scotland's first Asian police officer in 1968, insisted people had "every right" to form their own interest groups.
But he said: "Semperscotland stands for multi-ethnic issues, but we are not a large number. If we want to be effective, then it's common sense that we are united.
"We are much more effective if we are one voice, instead of ten different voices.
"There are so many other different faiths. I cannot stop them. It's their right to speak up. But I think that will weaken what we are trying to achieve.
"I think the ethnic groups' cause as a whole will be better served if we have one body, as opposed to lots of different groups, which will dilute the message."
He went on: "There was never any issue about us saying: 'We will not do this, we will not do that'. I'm not against any organisation. We attend many functions for the Muslim community."
While some Muslim officers in Strathclyde support creating their own association, others are against the move.
One officer, who did not want to be named, said: "Look what happened to the Scottish Socialist Party when they divided. The same will happen to us."
Another Muslim officer, Irfan Majid, a detective constable from Lothian and Borders, said: "Creating further smaller associations does inevitably weaken a previously strong voice.
"The problem is the slowing down of the progress which could be made, and continues to be made, with a united voice. Do BME staff now join Semper, or do they join the MPA? Or, indeed, do they join both? These are the questions BME staff will face and it is not unlikely they may ultimately favour the option of avoiding politics and not joining either, which will defeat the purpose of creating a voice for BME staff in the first place."
But Councillor Hanzala Malik, of the Strathclyde police board, said the MPA could help police to "recognise community issues".
The full article contains 620 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
