The Scottish Afghan Society (SAS), set up in 2003 with the support of Scottish MPs and human rights groups, to look after the interests of Afghan Asylum Seekers and Refugees, is holding a protest in Glasgow against alleged harassment by the police.

The protest outside Strathclyde Police headquarters is being supported by two Scottish MPs, various human rights groups and faith leaders. SAS claim that people have been interrogated at Glasgow airport, by Special Branch officers for 2-3 hours for no other reason than their Afghan background. There have also been complaints that some individuals were interrogated again at Special Branch headquarters for a further 2 hours.

Some were said to have been asked whether they knew where Osama bin Laden was and if they had trained with the Taliban. These questions which have no bearing on immigration issues, has created ill feeling within the Afghan community with many said to be “fed up with the discriminatory policies” of the police.

This treatment has been condemned as “unacceptable in a democracy”, by the president of SAS Mohammed Asif, who went on to explain that his community “cannot bear the psychological torture anymore”.

Many Afghanis have come over to the UK fleeing vicious fighting which is ongoing between the Taliban and coalition forces. The suspicion, and distrust with which the Afghan community are treated by the authorities will not help integration and nor is it an acceptable way of treating those who have come to Britain to live in safety and peace.