Is This A Joke?

WND is reporting that British police are constrained on their activities while raiding Muslim households.

Here are some of the guidelines:

• Rapid entry needs to be the last resort and raids into Muslim houses are discouraged for a number of religious dignity reasons.
• Police should seek to avoid looking at unclad Muslim women and allow them an opportunity to dress and cover their heads.
• For reasons of dignity officers should seek to avoid entering occupied bedrooms and bathrooms even before dawn.
• Use of police dogs will be considered serious desecration of the premises and may necessitate extensive cleaning of the house and disposal of household items.
• Advice should be sought before considering the use of cameras and camcorders due to the risk of capturing individuals, especially women, in inappropriate dress.
• Muslim prisoners should be allowed to take additional clothing to the station.
• If people are praying at home officers should stand aside and not disrupt the prayer. They should be allowed the opportunity to finish.
• Officers should not take shoes into the houses, especially in areas that might be kept pure for prayer purposes.
• In the current climate the justification for pre-dawn raids on Muslim houses needs to be clear and transparent.
• Non-Muslims are not allowed to touch holy books, Qurans or religious artifacts without permission. Where possible, Muslim officers in a state of 'Wudhu' (preparation before prayer) should be used for this purpose.

This is unbelievable. I can understand following the laws of due process and respect for civil liberties, but why should the police have any respect whatsoever for their 'religious dignity'? It would be unprofessional to go out of their way to make trouble over it but they shouldn't be putting stuff like this in to their SOP.

Terrorist 1: I see the police aren't allowed to wear shoes in our house if they come in to raid us.

Terrorist 2: Jolly good! We'll put nails and broken glass on the floor near the entrances then.

Terrorist 1: Oh, and we'll hide key evidence inside the Koran too since they can't touch it without permission and there aren't going to be many Muslim officers around.

Terrorist 2: Yes, and we can hide anthrax in the lining of the extra clothes we'll have prepared to take to the station with us.

Terrorist 1: And when they're standing aside waiting for us to finish praying, it will allow us plently of time to remotely detonate the bombs around the home with the devices in our robes.

Terrorist 2: Not to mention sending signals to the other cells to be careful.

Terrorist 1: These rules work out very well for us. Our brothers advising the police are very clever indeed.