Met Police chiefs plunged into new racism row after Muslim officers mocked for taking prayer breaks
- Met Police officers were mocked for ‘skiving off’ during work time to pray
- The police officers complained to the PCSP about religious discrimination
Britain’s biggest police force has been plunged into a new racism row after at least three Muslim officers made a formal complaint against their bosses.
The Metropolitan Police officers complained they were subjected to Islamophobic abuse at their station canteen as they went to a mosque.
When a Muslim police officer at the same station failed to take part in a voluntary team-building exercise on religious grounds, he claims he was ordered to wash police cars as an act of humiliation. When he refused, his sergeant posted a complaint note on his employment file.
The Metropolitan Police officers complained they were subjected to Islamophobic abuse at their station canteen as they went to a mosque
In addition, a ‘health and safety’ rule was brought in at the North London station requiring Muslim officers to put their names on a board if they took a prayer break, even if it was in the building’s multi-faith prayer room.
They said non-Muslim officers on a break did not have to log their names.
The MoS understands the PCSOs made the complaint in the presence of members of the Association of Muslim Police and the Metropolitan Black Police Association, which are supporting them. It has emerged just days after Met Commissioner Cressida Dick resigned after London Mayor Sadiq Khan lost confidence in the way she dealt with racism in the force.
In the first incident, which is said to have occurred around October, a sergeant let three officers visit a mosque for Friday prayers. But they were reportedly mocked by a PC, who said it was an excuse to ‘skive off’. The PC said he wished he was a Muslim or a Jew so he could take time off duty as well.
Weeks later, a Muslim PCSO at the same station was asked to join a voluntary team-building exercise, involving weight training, on a Sunday. The officer declined on religious grounds as it would make him sweaty – a state in which he could not pray. He claims the sergeant did not accept this reason and told him to wash police cars. The officer refused as PCSOs never clean cars as they do not use them.
Sources say a note of complaint was placed in the PCSO’s file.
The third complaint relates to Muslim officers performing their ritual daily prayers. Sources said Muslim officers were always allowed to pray at a local mosque or in the station prayer room. The Met declined to comment last night.