19 December 2007

MADRID - Muslim religious leaders in Spain believe members of the security services are increasingly using "over zealous" methods to persuade members of their faith with links to mosques to become informers. Mosques in Madrid, Toledo, Valladolid, Barcelona, and Granada have reportedly been targeted by men claiming to be undercover police. The Interior Ministry says that it has no knowledge of any incidents, and that it requires "specific reports" to be able take any action.

Omar Hajjami, a 27-year-old butcher from Marrakech in Morocco, who has been resident in Spain for six years and is a member of Valladolid's Islamic council, says he was approached a year ago by two men claiming to be secret police. "They came up to me in a gas station and asked if they could talk to me. They then gave me detailed information about my personal life." He says that they asked him to collaborate with them and to provide information about leading figures in the Islamic community. Hajjami admits he was frightened, and told them he would think about their request.

Two days later one of the officers called to accuse him of smuggling drugs. "If they can accuse me today of that, then tomorrow they can say I sell arms," he says.

After the two men refused to fully identify themselves, Omar decided to leave Spain, returning to Marrakech with his wife and two children. But as soon as he returned two months later, he was immediately contacted by the two supposed police officers. He agreed to meet them, and this time they threatened him with a gun, saying that they would send him to a prison in Morocco.

Finally, after continued harassment, Omar reported the matter to the police in Salamanca. So far they have been unable to identify the alleged police officers. At a recent Islamic conference of religious and community leaders held in Segovia, several speakers reported similar incidents. They said that they had not reported them out of fear of reprisals.

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