10 I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS Passion Islam I May 2009
MI5 to make Bond gadget ‘Q’
expertise to thwart terror operations developments to ensure British
around the world. intelligence stays one step ahead of
Candidates for the “unique and the country’s enemies.
challenging” role need to have He told BBC News: “It will involve
“world-class scientific expertise a sort of future gazing to see where
‘Q,’ the
and credibility,” “excellent strategic technology will be taking us in a year
fictional
skills,” “outstanding influencing and or so.”
gadget maestro from the
communication skills” as well as a “There is a really important role in
James Bond films, could soon
successful track record of “managing providing scientific and technological
become a reality.
critical projects and processes in a advice on addressing problems
The UK security service MI5 is
complex environment.” agents in the field will face.”
recruiting a chief scientific adviser to
The post will take up two or three “The chief science adviser has a
“lead and co-ordinate” its scientific
days a week, the blurb adds. role to frustrate terrorism to prevent
work.
According to the government’s espionage hurting the UK, protect our
The job is being advertised on
chief scientific adviser, Professor John critical national infrastructure and to
MI5’s website, with the successful
Beddington, the new recruit will have frustrate the proliferation of weapons
applicant expected to use their
to keep up with the latest scientific of mass destruction.”
Judges back Muslims
on forced marriage
Senior family judges have many societies and should Secretary. Daud Abdullah of a declaration that she
joined Muslim leaders be respected. is seeking damages for believes advocates attacks
in condemning forced Mr Justice Munby defamation after Ms Blears on British military personnel
marriage as intolerable and said: “Forced marriage is severed official links with and Israel. He firmly rejects
a gross abuse of human intolerable. It is a gross the Council over his signing this.
rights. abuse of human rights. It is
Sir Mark Potter, Britain’s a form of domestic violence
most senior family judge, that dehumanises people
and Mr Justice Munby, by denying them their right
a High Court judge, said to choose how to live their
the challenge was to lives.”
spread the message that Where courts could
forced marriage was not intervene in time, they would
acceptable, and pledged make orders preventing the
the courts’ backing to “marriage” and stop a victim
prevent such marriages. being taken abroad to be
The judges were married. Where the victim
speaking at a seminar on had already been taken
forced marriages at the abroad, the courts would
London Muslim Centre in make orders to ensure that
Whitechapel, East London, the victim was repatriated
where four key Muslim to this country, he said.
organisations — the Islamic Protective orders might
Sharia Council, the Council then be needed to protect
of Mosques, the Islamic the victim from retaliation by
Cultural Centre and the her or his oppressors. The
East London Mosque — judge added that criminal
said that forced marriage offences may apply in cases
was contrary to Islam and of forced marriage. There
not to be condoned. were also civil remedies.
Both judges drew a The deputy secretary-
distinction between forced general of the Muslim
and arranged marriages, Council of Britain started a
saying that the latter were legal action against Hazel
lawful, were accepted in Blears, the Communities
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