KENNY MacASKILL, the justice secretary, and senior police officers are to hold talks with Muslim leaders this week amid growing resentment that Asian passengers are allegedly being harassed under terrorist stop-and-search powers.

Community leaders say the powers are being over-used by police at airports and railway stations, with people routinely detained for up to two hours and interrogated on their religious beliefs, prayer habits, knowledge of the Koran, political affiliations, hobbies, and their views of the Iraq war.

In some cases, “suspects” are later visited at home and questioned about internet sites they have viewed, fuelling fears that they are under surveillance.

The British transport police (BTP) have also been accused of heavy-handedness at main stations such as Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central.

The issue will be raised at a private meeting at the central mosque in Glasgow attended by MacAskill and senior police officers. MacAskill has already attacked the BTP on the issue. Last year, Tom Harris, the UK rail minister, accused him of being “cynical and irresponsible” for claiming the BTP was harassing ethnic minorities.

Since 2005, the number of ethnic minority individuals searched by Strathclyde police, Scotland’s largest force, has risen by nearly 200%, from 1,108 to 3,120. In the same period, searches of white people rose 86% from 84,837 to 157,932.

Police can carry out searches, including detaining individuals for interview, under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Previously, the practice was restricted to individuals who the police felt showed “reasonable grounds” for suspicion.

Muslim leaders in Scotland say dozens of complaints are made to them each month, mostly from people who have flown into Glasgow from Pakistan, India and the Middle East and been randomly pulled into a room and quizzed. Others, despite being British nationals, say they must endure lengthy delays while awaiting security “clearance” from the police.

Last month, Abu-Zar Aziz, 30, from Glasgow, was detained on his return from an annual trip to visit relatives in India.He was interrogated for more than an hour, his luggage emptied and photocopies made of his passport, driver’s licence and credit and debit cards.

“They pulled me out of a queue, made me look like a criminal and more or less profiled me because I’m Muslim and young” he said. “I know \ are doing their job but the way they’re doing it is all wrong. All they’re doing is antagonising people.”

Sabir Ali, 43, a travel agent based in the southside of Glasgow, said: “People are scared to travel. We are getting a lot of complaints from people stopped for questioning.”

Senior police officers insist that their use of stop-and- search powers is moderate and intelligence-led. “The public expects us to use these powers and they are a very valuable tool in the fight against terrorism,” said Alan Burnett, counter terrorism co-ordinator for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.

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