An inquiry has been ordered by Met Police chief Sir Ian Blair after a Muslim constable was excused from guarding the Israeli embassy in London. [ BBC News ]
This.
Isn’t.
News.
The policemen – to all evidence available – asked politely if they could avoid placing him on guard at a place where he’d prefer not to work. They said that they would avoid it. At no point did he – apparently – say “I will not”, and at no point did they even place him at the place he didn’t want to work. There is no reason to suggest this was ever anything more than a policemen expressing his preference, and the higher powers, on this occasion, being able to work within the officer’s preference.
In the above, I have completely – and deliberately – ignored all specific political circumstances, because they should be ignored. This isn’t a political issue, it’s an employment issue, and at no level is it actually news.