London police defended on Thursday a controversial decision to excuse a Muslim firearms officer from guard duty at the Israeli embassy, saying it was based on a potential safety risk and not on the man's personal views.
The Sun newspaper reported that Constable Alexander Omar Basha told his bosses he morally objected to Israel's 34-day war against Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
However, the Association of Muslim Police Officers, which represented Basha in media interviews, said he was moved last weSek because he felt "uncomfortable and unsafe" guarding the embassy in west London.
"This is about the welfare of an individual and not about a moral issue," the association's Superintendent Dal Babu told BBC radio. "His wife is Lebanese and his father is from Syria."
London's Metropolitan Police ordered an urgent review of Basha's case, which sparked criticism that it would open the floodgates for officers of any religion or belief to refuse to carry out certain duties.
Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson later said the decision had been made after the officer had raised "personal concerns" including the fact he had Lebanese family members.
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