Race Profiling Demands

Muslims could face extra security checks in moves to target airport screening on passengers posing the biggest terrorist threat.

The profiling technique would pick out people behaving suspiciously, those with an unusual travel pattern and people from certain ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Transport chiefs have discussed a new system with airport operators, including BAA — but it is set to outrage British Muslims.

Security experts believe profiling young Muslim men is a more effective way of spotting potential terrorists than random searches.

Ex-Scotland Yard chief Lord Stevens said the controversial move would help reduce check-in chaos.
Aviation security expert Philip Baum added, “If we do not introduce some form of profiling we will be continuing to look for needles in a haystack. As a consequence the air industry could remain in crisis.”

Ex-BA boss Sir Rod Eddington has said it is irrational to subject a 75-year-old gran to the same checks as a young man who paid for his ticket in cash.

Those for the move claim similar techniques have made Israeli airports the safest in the world.
But Muslim leaders in Britain branded the plans “an extreme form of stereotyping”.

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said targeting people on ethnic grounds would be racist.

AN Islamic extremist last night warned that Britain faces a terror attack on the scale of 9/11.
Anjem Choudary, 39 , former head of radical group al-Muhajiroun , said planned atrocities will succeed.