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Muslim architecture student quizzed by police over Canary Wharf photo project
Last updated at 22:37pm on 17.10.06
Kamran Tariq says he was singled-out for being a Pakistani Muslim
A Muslim architect student was hauled before police, strip-searched and questioned for hours on suspicion of terrorism - for taking pictures of Canary Wharf.
Kamran Tariq was wandering amongst other tourists who were snapping the dock-lands hoping to gain inspiration for an art project when he was arrested by a troop of nine officers.
The Grenwich University student was bundled into a police car and taken to a station where he said he was subjected to a grueling strip-search and questioned for six hours.
The twenty-year-old was also fingerprinted and required to provide a DNA sample.
"I was singled out for being a young Pakistani Muslim and I was humiliated," said Mr Tariq, who is originally from Walsall and in his final university year.
"I was made to feel small and treated like a criminal - all for a piece of university coursework."
Mr Tariq's ordeal began when he approached two Canary Wharf security guards on October 9 to ask for some advice for his project, "Floating Cities."
Finding the area quiet, and hoping to get pictures of workers streaming down the docks, he asked the guards if there might be a busier time to take pictures.
He showed them his university badge, camera, the pictures he had taken and the contents of his shoulder-bag.
The guards, one of who had identified himself as a fellow fasting-Muslim, advised him to wait until the people finished work.
But minutes later the security guard returned to quiz him why his university photograph was in black and white, which Mr Tariq said was not unusual.
Mr Tariq, who is bearded, and was dressed in a traditional, long Muslim robe, believes he was victimised because of his looks.
"It was quite obvious it was because I was dressed in this way that they thought I was a terrorist," he said.
"The officer was telling me this was all procedure but I don't see how it can be - there were other people taking pictures and they had already searched my bag."
"Other students have been taking photographs of the area and they have not had any problems."
"I think public suspicion of Muslims has worsened since July 7."
Mr Tariq says he was then inspected by a sniffer dog and as he continued through the docks into a city-park, Mr Tariq was detained a third time.
Once again, he was asked to produce his photographs, and willingly complied.
Mr Tariq says after finding a quiet spot to take his afternoon prayer, two more guards questioned him and informed him he had been seen "acting suspiciously."
Soon afterwards, they were joined by two policemen.
Mr Tariq said: "Being in a public park, I felt quite embarrassed - I didn't appreciate being treated like a criminal and people had begun to gather round and watch.
"When the policemen asked me to take a walk to their car, I thought it was unnecessary but I complied nonetheless."
"We walked around the corner only to my horror to find seven uniformed officers were waiting."
"I was utterly gob-smacked. I was an architecture student who was working hard to be like those people who constructed the buildings around us, yet I was being treated like someone who would destroy such fine work."
The student was then arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist activity and taken to Limehouse Police Station in London where he was strip-searched and questioned.
He was eventually being released without charge at half past seven-six hours after first being questioned by security staff.
Mr Tariq says the ordeal left him feeling violated and believes he may need counseling.
He is currently looking into registering a complaint with the IPCC.
A police spokesman said: "We can confirm Mr Tariq was arrested on October 9 and released without charge the same day without further action to be taken."
"This was an isolated incident and our officers took the action they deemed to be appropriate."
Reader views (10)
Again, the most typical answers I have ever heard regarding the mistreatment of others, what ever their religious background!
The guy was un-armed for God sake! Having not found anything incriminating against him at the time, possibly after verifying with his university regarding his architecture project, the police could have, just could have released him. Why was there a need to strip-search him?
If they thought it was wise to ask him a few questions and clarify this, with his university, so be it. But, this time, along with many other incidents the Met has gone too far. It is a shame the British public cannot see things for what they really are!
- Abbs, London, UK
I saw the guy's picture. The police were only doing their job, but you can be sure that this crybaby will make a huge deal out of his being "inconvenienced".
- Kellye, Pfullingen Germany
In the present climate the police and security staff cannot take any chances. If this man had aroused their suspicions then they were correct to act on them. Offending a few innocent people by searching and questioning them is a very small price to pay for what, one day, will lead to the prevention of a major attack.
- Peter, Collier's Wood, London
Maybe he should be mad at radical Muslims, who are the cause of the suspicion, instead of being mad at those who are trying to stop acts of terror.
- Stephanie, Raleigh, NC USA
I live close by Canary Wharf and am also interested in Architecture. I frequently take my camera and photograph the buildings. I have never been stopped by guards/police. I am not an architecture student or on holiday with the family. I should arouse more suspicion than an architecture student, as if I was questioned I would have just said, I like the buildings - none of your business. I have never been stopped, I wonder if it is because I am white?
This is blatant discrimination based on prejudged race and religious understanding. The London bombers were wearing western clothing not traditional Muslim attire. He was stopped, questioned for no other reason than this. Why didn't the police contact the university to confirm his identity? 6 hours being questioned is horrendous. I hope he makes a full complaint with the IPCC and a written apology should be given for wasting his time and police time.
- Ian, London
Mr Tariq was being very foolish in deliberatley drawing attention to himself by photgraphing various aspects of the building itself. He wasn't just taking holiday snaps of people smiling. Security would immediately have been alerted. That is why he was hauled in, and rightly so.
- Dhanraj, Basildon, Essex
You dont see the problem here Ian? What else did he expect Sarah? Other people were taking photos and not arrested and detained. The guys that committed the July 7th atrocities were not 'a similar appearance to him' they were wearing jeans and t-shirts! do you mean 'of Asian appearance?' I remember the 70's and the situation with the Irish community. Let's be rational here, not all people of Asian appearance are Muslim or terrorists!
- Lu, UK
These types of intregation and victimisation of muslims are only going to isolate them further and will cause problems in the future, have we learned nothing in the last 50 years about victimisation and its effects? This was a young boy doing his university course work, the kind of young person we should be proud of, who was stopped solely because of his appearence.
But I don't see what else we can do - how can we not be suspicious of muslims?
- Kim, London
Must congratulate the police and their quick thinking on this one... sorry but what else did this guy expect?
- Sarah, London
I don't see what the problem is. If Mr Tariq is unaware that young Muslim men with a similar appearance to him are responsible for a number of terrorist attacks and attempts then he needs to choose another university course. Young men dressed like he does spending a lot of time looking at and photographing a high profile terrorist target should expect to arouse suspicion and I am happy that the police responded correctly.
- Ian, London
