No, Andy Burnham, NO!

[alteredimages]

Saw this and it makes me want to scream.

How on earth could anyone in their right mind think this is a good idea? As though being Muslim in Europe isnt politically charged enough these days, you want to make us exempt from dealing with the police to report hate crimes, pouring fuel on the fire and giving hate mongers more grist for their mill and isolating us more.

You are also undermining the police in their work and signalling that lack of trust in essential insitutions is justified.

I am fully integrated thanks and was hoping to stay that way. I don't have a problem with the police and in fact there are plenty of muslims and other minorities who are serving police officers.

Could you please acknowledge that Muslims in Britain are just like everyone else and therefore should be treated accordingly?

[Garthmarenghi]

I suspect he 'means well' and that he sees this as some kind of positive discrimination. He's a dick.

[BakewellTartAgain]

Someone must be advising him that this is a good idea.

[DiegeticMuch]

This is well-meaning but really bad. I really admired AB over Hillsborough, but he's gaffed here. It's a pity.

[alteredimages]

I know he means well, and that makes it all the more infuriating. He seems to be trying to build bridges and send a message that British Muslims are valued members of society and also that the tone of the Prevent programme is wrong. That is great, but telling people they don't need to engage with the police is a really counterproductive step and works in the opposite direction.

I have a bee in my bonnet about this because I lived in France and was always getting the 'but you lot have special treatment' spiel from people. The situation there spiralled once the terror attacks began a few years ago because there was an underlying grievance and I don't want that to happen here.

I am sad about it too, because I think Andy Burnham has been right on a lot of things, so I hope he changes his mind on this.

[LurkingHusband]

The road to hell etc ....

[Rainbunny]

Yep, right up there with "ladies only" train carriages... makes the problem worse not better.

[venusinscorpio]

I really don't like the message this sends about the police, and the idea that it's better to bypass them entirely rather than tackle racism and prejudice.

[BakewellTartAgain]

altered I do hope you pass on your opinions to AB.

He is a bit weak imho: he came to the Hillsborough families' cause very late on after a dose of public shaming iirc.

[mathsmum314]

I thought JC ideas were left of loonyville but seems the whole Labour party have been affected with a debilitating mental disease.