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THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT has defended its terror prevention measures after a Somali-born suspect escaped surveillance by putting on a burqa during a visit to a mosque.
Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, 27, who was subject to an order restricting his movements, entered a mosque in London last Friday wearing Western-style clothes but CCTV images showed him leaving disguised as a woman, with his face and body fully covered.
He is understood to have received training and fought overseas for the Somalia-based Shabab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militants who launched the attack on a Nairobi shopping mall in September in which at least 67 people were killed.
Home Secretary Theresa May, the interior minister, said that the suspect did not pose a “direct threat” to Britain.
“The police and Security Service have confirmed that they do not believe that this man poses a direct threat to the public in the UK.“The reason he was put on a TPIM in the first place was to prevent his travel to support terrorism overseas,” she said in a statement to parliament.
Mohamed is under a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIM) notice, which was imposed primarily to prevent overseas travel.
He is the second person to breach such an order since Prime Minister David Cameron’s government introduced them to replace control orders in early 2012. They allow suspects to live in public but under stringent restrictions.
Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of terror suspect Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed.
Another suspect, Ibrahim Magag, tore off his electronic tag and vanished in a taxi last December. He has not been seen since.
A spokesman for Cameron said that the government would “look at whether there are lessons that can be learned” following the latest disappearance.
Yvette Cooper, home affairs spokeswoman for the main opposition Labour party, described the situation as “extremely serious” and demanded answers from the government on how Mohamed was able to abscond.
“The home secretary also needs to provide information about the decisions made over Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed’s TPIM, how he was able to abscond and what the risks to the public are,” she said.
It is believed Mohamed attended a training camp in 2008 and is understood to have helped people travel to Britain from Somalia to allow them to engage in terror-related activity.
He is also believed to have procured weapons for terror use.
One lawmaker from Cameron’s Conservative party said the incident reinforced the need for a ban on face-covering burqas and niqabs, like France and some other European countries have introduced.
Gerald Howarth called on May to “have the burqa banned in this country because it is alien to our culture, and has enabled this man to abscond.”
But May said she believed that women should be able to wear what they wanted.
There has been a growing debate in Britain about Muslim women wearing face-covering garments and the government has said it may consider a ban in schools and courts of law.
Should definately be banned in public , they don’t let ya wear helmets entering shops garages banks etc, I personally find them very intimidating
Yeah but what about caps, sunglasses, hoodies, scarves?
“Yeah but what about caps, sunglasses, hoodies, scarves?”
None of the above cover the face entirely like a Burqa does. A hijab doesn’t cover the the face either, so it’s more than adequate for muslims. The Qur’an does not compel Muslim women to wear a Burqa. It is a security risk.
I lived in Saudi for a few years. And while I eventually got used to women wearing them, in some situations when I was ‘unaccompanied’ for example, I would have felt very intimidated. They would simply invade my space or push me out of the way in some situations. As I could not connect with their facial expressions they would always come across as threatening. The hijab immediately puts the uncovered person at a disadvantage.
Does no one else see this as a PR exercise with the aim of constraining human rights? sounds like that to me…
Presumably you’d be in favour of banning the Guy Fawkes masks used by protestors then?
Actually, if you’re for banning anything which makes the identification of facial features more difficult why not ban Botox or heavy make up?
Furthermore – how many times have you seen someone in a burqa in the last year?
This place has jumped the shark. If this is the type of people this site attracts then I don’t think I should be reading it anymore.
And advertisers should be asking themselves the same thing.
“Presumably you’d be in favour of banning the Guy Fawkes masks used by protestors then?”
I’d take a consistent line. I’d be in favour of banning any clothing that hides someone’s face in public.
“Actually, if you’re for banning anything which makes the identification of facial features more difficult why not ban Botox or heavy make up?”
Are you actually putting forward that as a comparison? Really?
This is shocking.. Thought this site was frequented by liberals.. Time it had a competitor me thinks.
Glenn, all the talk of openness, fairness and evidenced based opinions disappears on this site when it comes to Islam. Have yet to see one of the “thread carefully here’s a reminder of our comments policy” comments from the journal staff on stories related to Islam either.
“Presumably you’d be in favour of banning the Guy Fawkes masks used by protestors then?”
Try walking into a bank wearing one of these and see what reaction you get?
Glenn, does that mean you’re going to create a site that only allows liberals? That wouldn’t be very liberal, would it?
Too many! More and more all the time, part of the changing (face) of Ireland.
@scar. That actualky would be very in keeping with the way liberals do business. “no Free speech for facists” . Kind of screwed up thinking.
Jean Paul – you and I both wear a mask. There is no issue.
I’m not arguing they should be banned, ban the shiite outta them. I hate them.
I’m just saying do we ban all possible methods of concealing identity?
If I cant walk down the street with a baklava on, in my own country, without getting pulled aside by the rapid response unit, I dont see how these people can be allowed either, especially with the stigma of terrorism attached to there country. There is an out and out ban on the burqa in france.
Glenn if any group knows about constraining human rights its the Arabs. Having been chased around a shopping centre by religious police for not covering my hair, having an advent calendar ( which my mam had hidden in my suitcase before I left) torn up on my arrival at the airport and on another occasion a box of tampax opened and thrown around by laughing security guards, being forced to go to the back of the airplane because the seat beside me was allocated to a man, who refused to sit next to a woman, I was quickly schooled in the fact that my cultural identity was of no consequence and I toed the line and lived (for the most part) according to culture of the country I was living in. My problem is that it was demanded of me and others and yet it is not reciprocated on many levels when the shoe is on the other foot.
I’m sure you are free to wear pastries on your head anywhere you please
Elmear Smith , you must be barmey if you think we demand that other people adhere to our laws, we welcome them with open arms burkas and all. Within a generation or less there will be large parts of our tows and cities where you as a female wont be able to wear what you like without being spat upon, like the UK.
Eimear I fully agree. There’s no reciprocity.
And I already feel judged. I live in Dublin 8, near the mosque. And on Sunday I was buying wine in Lidl, I was dressed well but in a short skirt and I was stared at with absolute and utter disgust by two Muslim men.
I didn’t feel threatened but I felt insulted. I wanted to tell them that staring was impolite and they had no right to.
But I just eyeballed them back. I won’t be cowed by them and it wasn’t enough to start anything.
So basically if you put a pillow case on your haed MI5 cant track you.
ban the burqa!!!!
Why ?
“Go down there to Peggy Lyons..she’s down there at the burqa boiler haven an emergency meeting with paddy Leary of the hall committee”
Ban the bra!!
Outstanding!
@jean, did u ever use the london underground? I was sitting waiting for a train, and I was in the company of 5 people all fully covered, nothing more intimidating! When we’re in there country they expect us to follow their rules stringently, especially women.. so when there in our country they should do as they told!
Religion is like a bloody cancer!
Seriously Burqas should be banned full stop! Way are we pandering to this repressive religion?
yep, they use it here to intimidate, yea we know you’re religion, no need to proclaim it. i saw 2 young lads pull at ones head gear in tescos one day. i got a laugh out of it, they should no better not to intice.
*know better
Yeah because that was the only mistake you made in your post
To lose one terrorist may be considered a misfortune; to loose two is downright carelessness.
Can’t these people who pose a threat be deported???
I think he claimed asylum when he first arrived. i recall another person of interest to the uk had a 5million euro a year surveillance op on him and they couldnt throw him out because he claimed asylum. A logical approach needs to be taken. I see no reason why any person who emigrates/claims asylum etc to a host country and poses a risk to it or continually breaks its laws should be allowed stay.
@paul, ya, or beheaded, seem to work for them anyways!
He could be in Ireland, nobody would ever know.
Round them all up and throw them all out. This vile Religion is going to be the death of Europe. Sweden is being destroyed by these fanatics
Widespread deportation of people based only on their religion gets lots of thumbs up. People on this site show their real colours when Islam is discussed
Kevin – however the post above mentioning a hijab being pulled off in public gets lots of thumbs down. Try and be sensible, lad.
Scarr all that proves is that readers don’t like the thoughts of individual physical attacks on women but would have no problem with their government pushing a large scale forced movement of Muslims.
No it doesn’t Kevin. It means we oppose an oppresive religion that attempts to act outside of the law and refuses to integrate into society.
“Round them all up and throw them all out” is the comment that got green thumbed. Tell me how I’m misinterpreting that Alan? And putting aside your inaccurate statements about integration for a minute tell me how you feel western society should deal with this issue ?
Rounding them all up and throwing them out is itself fanatical behaviour and would only be exchanging one fanaticism for another.
@kevin, ok so, name one positive influence islam has had on the western world, and tell me the advantages of living under their laws, and values? See how long you’d last before you’d notice parts of your body going missing..
I think you’re confused Ronan I’m not the one calling for us to copy the laws of Saudi Arabia. That’s what you are doing by saying there should be legal barriers on what women are allowed to wear. I live in a liberal democracy and would like to keep it that way
@kevin, think you may have picked me up wrong, if you read what I posted, I, in no way suggested we should adopt there laws, I also voiced my disgust at the treatment of women in these cultures, which I think most would agree, I totally agree with women wearing what they feel suit them. And finally the issue of the covering of one’s face and identity in public, is a security issue, I personally dont feel comfortable with people walking around our streets with there identities conciled. And as my cousin nearly lost her life in the london bombings, I think my opinion can be justified.
Is it a security issue? He could have just as easily worn a bicyclists pollution mask and cycled off. Would we ban them also? A member of the Gardai should of course be able to confirm someone’s ID if they suspect that person of something but that doesn’t require a ban. The London bombers wore normal western clothing because they were westerners! Where in Europe has an attacker disguised themselves with a burka during a terrorist attack?
@Kevin, missing the point man, everything has a time and place, this person was using the burqa for the purpose of a covert escape, because he knows he is less lightly to be pulled over and identified on the grounds of religious “discrimination”. People wear baklavas in cold weather to keep warm.. not everyday of the year on the street.. u dont walk around in the city with your motorbike helmet on, you do so only when you get on the bike, same with the burqa, if your living in western society, you can wear it at home or at your place of veneration, but im sorry in my opinion not out in public.
I’m not the one missing the point at all. You say it’s a security issue but freely admit you are actually more suspicious of people in a burka. You can’t give an example of burkas being worn in attack . You might well have an opinion on when and where it’s socially acceptable for someone to wear a piece of clothing but that doesn’t mean you get to enact a law telling them that they can never wear it
Running away in burqa’s…tearing off security tags and legging it, Monthy Python has come to life…
Get um out and f@#k off back to where to all wear that crap.we don’t want them here.human rights me balls
@martin, human rights seems to be non existent where they come from.. talk about a race that has a total lack of regard or respect for women or other cultures.. were all infidels according to “them” so f@#k em..
I don’t see the need for a debate. It should be banned, full stop.
I’d recognise the woman in the top photo again.
ye I know that hand anywhere. yep. thats him officer
Her ankles give me the twitch
Any relation to Sean p diddy puffy daddy coombes?
Outrageous! How dare anyone wear anything that professes their religion! Everyone knows that anyone in a Burqa is a terrorist! Let’s banish them from our wonderful society and never speak of it again.
Very harsh attitude David. I suppose you are going to say you were being sarcastic but i know you are being serious.
You seem so certain that you know I’m being serious. I commend you for that, I should pass over some personal details to you, maybe you could tell me more about myself.
Have you got an actual point, Dave or are you just being a drama queen?
Didn’t Peig Sayers wear a hijab :-)
Ya lost gorgeous George. He’s hardly a set of Phucking car keys now is he. Springs to mind.
Ban ban ban!!!!!!!!!
Big girls burka!
Even I can tell that that’s a man.
This made me laugh so much. Its reminiscent of a bad Chevy Chase movie. Perhaps now the Looney liberals will see the need for a ban.
There’s no such thing as a bad Chevy chase movie
@Kevin Go to one of these mainly Islamic countries and wear a Catholic cross (or whatever your religion allows) and come back to me. If non religious, go and show public affection to your partner and see how you get on.
I wish people would stop making this silly point. No I probably wouldn’t be allowed wear one. That’s because our system of law and government is freer than theirs. That’s why we shouldn’t change it to make it more like theirs!
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