By Subindra Bogati

Plain-clothed police start following a young man from the house he is renting but do nothing to stop him till he tries to board a train at underground tube station. Then police first corner him and pin him to the ground and unload five bullets into his head at close range in a full view of tube passengers.

Sounds like a plot of Hollywood movie? Nope, this is what happened in London last Friday (July 22). An innocent Brazilian man was murdered by London police in that way simply on the basis of suspicion. A tragedy that has made non-Whites in this multicultural city shiver with fear.

Salvador, an East Timorese, said he had seen innocents being gunned down by Indonesian armies at his country when they were struggling for independence. He asked, “What is the difference between London and other infamous cities of the third world countries where you get killed for no reason?.”

The London police chief, Ian Blair, apologized for the death of innocent Brazilian young man, but he emphasized that the “shoot-to-kill” policy for dealing with suspected suicide bombers would remain in force. The shoot-to-kill policy is the policy that lets the police shoot first and ask question later. And it is spreading panic among non-Whites in London. Asif, a Pakistani, believes that the policy is targeted at people like him who are male, Asian and young.

For two days, on Friday and till Saturday afternoon, media here were reporting that terrorist suspect with an “Asian” face had been shot dead by police. What a contaminated perception! The person they were reporting about and whom the police gunned down mistakenly was not Asian, but an innocent Brazilian. Going through media reports and public responses in those two days, one could easily draw the conclusion that if you don’t look like Whites in London, then you can probably be terrorists.

Londoners were sure that the bombing in this diverse city would take place. Even Mayor of London and Police Chief had said in interviews that a terrorist attack in London was inevitable. So, people did not get that much shocked when the fanatics killed 56 innocent and weak people at bus and underground tube stations. The defiance of Londoners is laudable but the situation has become volatile.

Deependra Shrestha has stopped carrying a bag while going to University or Library. “I prefer to use grocery bags till the situation gets normal. Nowadays when faces like ours enter the tube station or a bus with a bag, people start looking at your every move suspiciously.” Being a non-White, I take this for granted at such a difficult time,” he adds.

London is, no doubt, a happening city, and has so much to offer if you are young. However, with the contaminated perception of media and public towards non-Whites, especially Asians, latter will have to face difficulties while traveling around and in getting jobs. As Asif says he knows a large number of Britain-born Pakistanis who are jobless and those who come here as students face difficulties in finding part-time jobs. “These recent bombings will put them into more difficulties in getting the jobs”.

However, this may not be the case for Nepalis. Gavin Goodwill– the manager of a chain retail shop at a train station who has seven Nepali students as part-time employees– says, “I prefer Nepalis from South Asia because they are gentle, hardworking and trustworthy and more than that they are ever-smiling.” Gopal Shrestha, an investment banker with work permit to stay and work in the UK, says that the scenario will remain same for Nepalis to work in London even after these bombings. “We are Nepalis, not Asians,” he adds.

Then who are Asians in London? “Any person, who is not White or Black, is Asian. That is why the innocent Brazilian guy might have been gunned down. However, to be specific, when people say Asians here after July 7th bombing, then it means either Muslims of Asian origin or Arabic looking people”, said Peter from central London, a researcher who also practices law.

There are widespread fears that there would be an anti-Muslim backlash following the July 7 bombings, which were carried out by British-born suicide bombers. In east London, a Muslim woman was not allowed to board a bus. The Guardian, a leading British newspaper, reported that police have recorded more than 1,200 suspected Islamophobic incidents across the country ranging from verbal abuse to murder in the past three weeks.

Though Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was desperately sorry for the death of an innocent Brazilian man, at this volatile climate common concern non-Whites share in London is that they can be victims both of extremists and of the prejudice of police at the same time.