Blair goes easy on ‘religious’ man

International

THE National Secular Society has written to the Judicial Complaints Office complaining that Cherie Blair had apparently acted more leniently because he was religious. Mrs Blair, who is a prominent Roman Catholic, suspended a six-month prison sentence against Moslem Shamso Miah, who was convicted on January 23 at Inner London Crown Court of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, on the ground that he was devout.

THE National Secular Society has written to the Judicial Complaints Office complaining that Cherie Blair had apparently acted more leniently because he was religious. Mrs Blair, who is a prominent Roman Catholic, suspended a six-month prison sentence against Moslem Shamso Miah, who was convicted on January 23 at Inner London Crown Court of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, on the grounds that he was devout.

Miah went from prayers at a mosque in East London to a bank, where he became involved in an argument with another man over who was first in the queue. He punched him in the face and ran out. The victim followed him and demanded to know the reason for the attack. Miah hit him again, knocking him to the pavement and breaking his jaw. He told police that he had acted in self defence, but Lloyds Bank’s CCTV footage showed the attack and he pleaded guilty.

The president of the NSS, Terry Sanderson, wrote “We think this is discriminatory and unjust and we wish to make a formal complaint about it.” It was reported by The Times, that the complaints office had acknowledged his letter and confirmed it was going to investigate the case.

“She said that he would have got a six-month sentence but was suspending it because he was a religious man and would know he was doing wrong, which we feel implies that a non-religious person wouldn't know it was wrong.”

Mr Sanderson said “We are hopeful that some kind of guidance will be put out to judges saying that they cannot use this kind of language in court and treat religious people differently from non-religious people.”