Sun Feb 3, 2008 7:45pm GMT
LONDON (Reuters) - Muslim groups reacted with anger on Sunday to claims that an MP had his private conversations with a constituent secretly bugged by Scotland Yard anti-terrorist officers.
They said the allegations could damage relations between the Muslim community and the police.
It is public policy that law agencies cannot eavesdrop on politicians since a bugging scandal involving Harold Wilson's government.
But the Justice Secretary was forced to order an immediate inquiry after allegations in the Sunday Times claimed that electronic listening devices were used to tap two conversations between Sadiq Khan, MP for Tooting, and Babar Ahmad, being held on remand while awaiting deportation to the United States.
Ahmad is accused of running Web sites supporting terrorism and raising funds for Muslim militants in Chechnya and Afghanistan, and with urging Muslims to fight a 'holy war'.
The Muslim Council of Britain called for urgent meetings with the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, and Straw, to ask for clarification on the "disturbing news".
"Today's revelations are simply appalling and raise a whole range of vital issues to do with confidentiality and how to hold to account the improper behaviour of senior police officers," Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said in a statement.
"This kind of behaviour cannot but do immense damage to the level of trust between Muslim communities and the police."
Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organisation Britain threatened to ban after the 2005 attacks on London, said the allegation was indicative of the country's ever increasing draconian security measures.
"Is it any surprise that many Muslims believe Britain is becoming a police state for our community?" it said in a statement.
(Reporting by Avril Ormsby)
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On the flipside:
Brown 'knew nothing' of bugging warning