Muslim cop who allegedly helped SIMI extremists, facing dismissal

Cop who played SIMI conduit in 2001, faces dismissal charges
Syed Khalique Ahmed
Friday , August 29, 2008

Ahmedabad, August 28 Police constable Haneef Hashim Multani (47) is facing dismissal charges for allegedly helping and providing shelter to SIMI activists during a 2001 meeting in Surat. Multani was last posted at the Rajkot Police Headquarters. The police have now served him a notice and asked as to why his services should not be dismissed.

Rajkot police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha, before whom Multani appeared in person and made verbal submissions in reply to the notice, is likely to pronounce his verdict within a fortnight as per departmental rules.

“The case is now in its final stages and an order is likely to be issued in the next 20 days,” Sinha told Newsline over the phone from Rajkot. At present, Multani is under suspension and withdrawing 75 per cent of his salary as per government rules.

Multani was posted in the Surat Traffic Police when the SIMI organised an educational awareness meeting in the city. The police raided the Rajshree Hall, the venue of the meet even before the meeting began on suspicions that a conspiracy was being hatched there.

The police arrested as many as 123 people belonging to SIMI from the venue. Multani, who had managed to escape, was subsequently arrested, suspended and put in jail for five months.

SIMI activists had said it was an educational awareness meet organised by the All India Minority Education Board. Elsewhere, the court released all the accused, including a university professor, on bail, as the police were unable to recover any incriminating material from their possession.

Multani too was granted bail by the court and reinstated, but transferred to Rajkot. But he did not join for two years and when he finally resumed duty, he was posted to the Rajkot City Police Headquarters, which is generally considered a ‘punishment posting’.

Later, a departmental inquiry was initiated against him for unauthorised absence from duty for 782 days, including the days spent in incarceration.

Treating the charges against him “as proved,” the presiding officer submitted his report to Sinha and the latter issued a dismissal notice, along with a suspension order, four months ago. Sinha said he was aware of the matter and will now take a decision on the report as he has heard the contention of the constable as well.

Sinha further said that while many policemen, including constables, sub-inspectors and inspectors, even in the local Intelligence Bureau are allowed to grow beards, Multani apparently did not seek such permission.

Limit Muslim migration, Australia warned

Limit Muslim migration, Australia warned
Barney Zwartz
February 16, 2007

The Australian Jewish News yesterday quoted Raphael Israeli as saying Australia should cap Muslim immigration or risk being swamped by Indonesians.

Professor Israeli told the Herald that was a misunderstanding. But he said: “When the Muslim population gets to a critical mass you have problems. That is a general rule, so if it applies everywhere it applies in Australia.”

Professor Israeli, an expert on Islamic history from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, has been brought to Australia by the Shalom Institute of the University of NSW. The Australia-Israel Jewish Affairs Council is co-hosting many of his activities.

He said Muslim immigrants had a reputation for manipulating the values of Western countries, taking advantage of their hospitality and tolerance.

“Greeks or Italians or Jews don’t use violence. There is no Italian or Jewish Hilaly [a reference to the controversial cleric Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly of Lakemba mosque]. Why?”

Professor Israeli said that when the Muslim population increased, so did the risk of violence.

“Where there are large Muslim populations who are prepared to use violence you are in trouble. If there is only 1 or 2 per cent they don’t dare to do it – they don’t have the backing of big communities. They know they are drowned in the environment of non-Muslims and are better behaved.”

In Australia, Muslims account for about 1.5 per cent of the population.

Professor Israeli said that in France, which has the highest proportion of Muslims in Europe at about 10 per cent, it was already too late. There were regions even the police were scared to enter, and militant Muslims were changing the country’s political, economic and cultural fabric, and demanding anti-Semitic and anti-Israel policies.

“French people say they are strangers in their own country. This is a point of no return.

“If you are on a collision course, what can you do? You can’t put them all in prison, and anyway they are not all violent. You can’t send them all back. You are really in trouble. It’s irreversible.”

Professor Israeli said that in Australia a few imams had preached violence. “You should not let fundamentalist imams come here. Screen them 1000 times before they are admitted, and after they are admitted screen what they say in the mosque.”

He said some Muslims wanted to impose sharia (Islamic law) in their adopted countries, and when propaganda did not work they turned to intimidation.

Professor Israeli said his task was to describe, not prescribe. He also said his warning did not include immigrants, including Muslims, who simply wanted to improve their lot. As long as they respected the law and democracy, their numbers — Buddhist, Muslim or Jew — were immaterial. It became material when a group accepted violence.

“The trains in London and Madrid were not blown up by Christians or Buddhists but by Muslims, so it is them we have to beware,” he said.

Keysar Trad, of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, said “Not only religious clerics need to be screened before entering Ausralia but also academics … this type of academic does nothing but create hatred, suspicion and division … We should review not only what the man has said but also those who have sponsored him, to see if they endorse those comments.”