Whatever you do, don't upset the Moslems

That seems to be the guiding principle for the authorities in Britain today.

There are all sorts of reasons why people should be concerned about increasing the number of days that police can detain someone from 28 to 42. Personally, I'm not happy with 28 - or anything more than 3 really - mostly because I think such a move is contrary to the constitution and, therefore, the rights and liberties of the British people, but also because it just doesn't make sense. Why 42? Why not allow intercept evidence as a first step before giving police such powers? Does anyone think that the police stop investigating something just because they have charged someone? These cases take months to come to court - plenty of time to unearth all the evidence they need.

So, given that, you'd think I'd be pleased that a number of senior police officers have expressed their concern over giving the police new powers which - so we're told - the police have asked for themselves.

But I'm not. I'm not pleased because of the reason they give.

Four senior members of the Association of Chief Police Officers, including Rob Beckley, deputy chief constable of Avon and Somerset, have raised concerns that the likely damage to relations with the Muslim community will prove detrimental to intelligence gathering. (My emphasis)

They are worried not because giving the police such powers goes against the grain of British society - they are worried because it might upset the Moslems. They don't seem too bothered what the indigenous people of Britain might think - our opinions don't matter.

If we - the indigenous people of Britain - get upset with Moslems because of what their people do in the name of Islam we get lectured and hectored to be more "tolerant" and "understanding". Anyone who dares to criticise is demonised as racist and xenophobic - but if the Moslems have a beef about something the authorities will fall over themselves to accommodate their intolerance.

When it comes to making allowances for peoples sensibilities I find it odd that the heads of authority in Britain put the concerns of the minority "guests" above the majority indigenous people.