As I walk down some of the most vibrant and lively neighbourhoods in Birmingham I can feel a sense of unease and suspicion from the locals. Made up of a large South Asian population, the people of Alum Rock, Sparkbrook, Small Heath and Washwood heath tell me of a 'them' versus 'us' culture.
They also remind me of past incidents which has led to a 'breakdown' of relationship between the police and the Muslim community in Birmingham. That form of anxiety and suspicion is epitomised in the words of Moazzam Begg, who in his last post on Facebook wrote: "Sometimes knowing too much can be a curse".
[A COMMENT] I was born in Belfast and lived most of my life in mainland UK, I have been questionned at gunpoint by the Army, I have been stopped by police and asked my business, I have been held at airports until I could prove my identity, my parents had their car stripped down by security services.... Did we moan ? Did we complain ? NO ! We realised that those actions were necessary to protect us from terrorism. [The Huffington Post UK] Read more
