UK Politics

More Bob Lambert

A few weeks ago, we covered the work of the recently retired head of the Metropolitan Police’s Muslim Contact Unit: Bob Lambert.

Bob Lambert, you will remember, is the police officer who pioneered the policy of building partnerships with extreme Islamist organisations, in the foolish belief that strong Islamist organisations, which are not presently engaged in jihadist activities within the United Kingdom, will act as a bulwark against Al Qaeda.

I hadn’t realised that last November, Bob Lambert had received an award from the Iranian Khomeneist front group, the so-called Islamic Human Rights Commission.

The IHRC Awards Ceremony was attended by the leader of Hizb ut Tahrir, Dr Abdul Wahid, the retired jihadist Moazzam Begg, and a selection of other extremists from the marginal Islamist fringe. This is what happened.

First of all, IHRC activist Raza Kazim delivered a blistering condemnation of the Metropolitan police, but ended on a positive note:

In all of that – insincerity, lies, deception, there was one guy that I met, i was speaking about him after wards I said he seems like a nice guy but he’s a copper.. over a number of years, some of the cases we have fought for, we would not have been able to get the help to the Muslim community without the crucial support of that particular individual and the team he was in effect leading, and sometimes I asked the question are you part of the good cop bad cop routine where you are the good guy and we get beaten up by the other people, the Muslim community that is gets beaten up by the other people. And over the years one thing I felt very strongly, within the Islamic Human Rights Commission we felt, the sincerity with which the cause for justice has been fought for within the police to try and not demonize the Muslim community by the papers that individual has written, by the comments that individual has written has in effect made us think on the fact that he is no longer going to be with the police any longer.. [IHRC] needs to acknowledge and say a gesture of thanks for the work that he has done in order to help the IHRC to help the Muslim community.. I would like to invite Detective Inspector Robert Lambert to the stage to receive a gesture of out thanks for the help he has given..

Caption: Detective Inspector Robert Lambert receiving award by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, the inscription reads: “”The Islamic Human Rights Commission is proud to present this award to Inspector Robert Lambert (Head of Muslim contact Unit), upon his retirement from the Metropolitan Police Service. In appreciation for his integrity and commitment to promoting a fair, just and secure society for all, which, is a rarity and will be greatly missed.”

The IHRC commented:

During the IHRC’s dealing with the Metropolitan Police, in all the lies, insincerity and deception there was one person the IHRC encountered who genuinely “fought the cause of justice within the police force to try and not demonize the Muslim community” – that was Detective Inspector Robert Lambert. Detective Inspector Robert Lambert is the head of the Muslim Contact Unit at New Scotland Yard. On his retirement from the police force the Islamic Human Rights Commission invited him to join them in the struggle for justice.

DI Bob Lambert responded:

I’ve been to many Islamic Human Rights Commission functions – Islamophobia Awards – often the Metropolitan Police has been in strong contention and indeed I remember one year telling the head of our diversity department at New Scotland Yard, I said we’ve won an award at the Islamophobia Awards. He said “Good, Bob, things are looking up!” I said “No, its a not that kind of award.”

In the past, police officers were unofficially present at National Front and British National Party meetings.

It is a scandal, is it not, that DI Bob Lambert should attend such an event, organised by an extreme Islamist organisation, and should have appeared on a platform alongside a selection of fringe politicians who are seeking to create a nightmarish totalitarian theocratic state.

I’d like to know more about Lambert’s legacy of shame at the Met, and what steps are being taken to undo the damage he has done.