West Midlands Police chief must quit, says Jewish community leader who was at talks with force

Kamran Hussain, formerly chief executive of Birmingham’s Green Lane mosque, sat on the interview panel that assessed Guildford before he was appointed chief constable three years ago.

The Jewish community was not consulted before the ban, despite police engaging extensively with Muslim groups.

Rowe, who is chair of the Young National Jewish Assembly, attended meetings with the force after the decision to ban fans from the Jewish state, whereas Muslim groups met the force ahead of the ban.

“The police gave in to Islamist extremists in Birmingham,” Rowe claimed in an op-ed for the JC (see below).

“They did as they were told by those who thought they could get away with dictating how our city should operate. They were wrong.”

He said it was “not surprising” to see reports that an individual involved in Green Lane mosque was part of the process that led to Guildford’s hiring.

“There is no doubt in my mind, and in the minds of community members, MPs and others, that his position is now untenable,” Rowe said of Guildford.

“The chief constable must now resign, along with his deputy, Mr O’Hara.”

Sir Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary, is investigating the decision to ban Israeli fans and was expected to report to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood this week.

Mahmood was prepared to call for Guildford to go if the report turned out to be highly critical, The Times reported on Monday.

Rowe said what concerned him most about WMP was the alleged “contempt” shown by the force’s leadership towards the Jewish community.

“When reaching a decision such as this, the Safety Advisory Group must consult with stakeholders,” he said.

“One would assume that the local Jewish community were important people to consult when looking to ban all Israeli fans from a match in a largely unprecedented move. Not in the eyes of WMP. So much so that the first engagement they had with our community leadership was after the decision had been made to ban fans. Utterly disgraceful.”

Rowe pointed to WMP’s engagement with at least eight local Muslim groups before the ban.

He said the “almost unanimous feeling” in a meeting between the police and the community last October was “disbelief and visible disgrace.”

Rowe’s comments follow pressure from Jewish communal organisations, including the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies, which called for Guildford’s resignation after his questioning by the Home Affairs Committee last week.