The Muslim community here already felt the glare of suspicion in the wake of the deadly bombings that have terrorized London. Then came an admission by police Saturday that they had gunned down an innocent Brazilian on Friday who they thought was a would-be bomber. That, some in the community said, put London’s Muslims in a double bind: afraid of the militants, and afraid of the police.
“All of us must help police identify these suspect bombers and bring them to justice – yet yesterday’s events make it harder for us,” said Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the mainstream Muslim Council of Britain. “If people believe that the individuals they are informing on may be shot dead before it’s even verified they’re a threat, they’re going to be reluctant to tell the police.”