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London is next was the general feeling when New York was attacked. The city came to a standstill as every pub got jammed with people glued to television sets. News spread that Asians (mainly of Middle-Eastern origin) were responsible for the attacks, and fear began to stalk people with brown skin.

In the aftermath, girls wearing head scarves, Sikhs, Asian shopowners and school-going children were abused or attacked. Two months later, life in London has still not returned to normal. Though Christmas is round the corner, the streets of London wear a deserted look. And Britain, which has been seen to be a haven for terrorist organisations, has had to change its policies, policing and politics.

Suddenly, cops became more visible. Extra police were deployed in streets to monitor individuals and organisations. Over 15,000 officers were on duty at weekends in London. Tight security checks made commuting to Heathrow an onerous task. And soon enough, the home secretary David Blunkett announced identity cards would be issued and made compulsory for all citizens.

The Government came out with emergency plans to give police, customs and other agencies extra powers to tackle the terrorism threat. The objective was that the horror of the World Trade Center (WTC) should not visit British shores.

As the backlash against the Muslims built up, special Operation Calm was set up to monitor calls. "Ladies wearing veils were abused and mosques attacked. Bacon was being put through letter boxes of Muslim people. The far right British National Party also started distributing race hate leaflets. So, the operation became necessary," says a Met spokesperson.

More recently, Blunkett introduced an Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill in Parliament, which ministers hope will be law by Christmas. The Bill extends race hate laws to cover religious hate in a move welcomed by the Muslim community, which has been targeted in a spate of attacks across the UK.

The Bill will allow detention of terrorist suspects without trial. Blunkett explained the need for such a Bill: "It has originated from a trawl of our current laws looking for loopholes, outdated provisions and gaps which we can tackle to ensure that we are doing everything we can to protect the country at a time of heightened threat."

Already the police have drawn up a list of 20 Islamist fundamentalist militants to be arrested and interned once the Government's new anti-terrorism law comes into effect.

Britain has been a haven for terrorist organisations that raised funds for terrorist activities and sent young Muslim boys to camps in Afganisthan for training. The police believe that up to 200 Britons who flew to the region after September 11 could be prosecuted. Soldiers who took up arms against US or British forces could face treason.

Tightened rules requiring the reporting of suspicious transactions by financial institutions are also outlined, along with powers to freeze suspected terror funds and tighter rules for bureaux de change. Lauding this move, an Indian High Commission spokesperson said, "Lists of organisations whose accounts are being frozen include Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen and Lashkar-e-Toiba."

Asylum laws are also to be rewritten. Bin Laden's European ambassador Abu Qatada and others like him have been enjoying social benefits here while having £180,000 stashed away in a bank account. To stop terrorists entering Britain as asylum seekers, the Bill plans to reform the asylum system, certain rights of appeal would be removed for suspected terrorists and the substance of their asylum claims will no longer have to be considered. The Government is also considering implementing quota system in asylum.

In an attempt to head off a revolt by Labour MPs and the House of Lords, Blunkett agreed to a sunset clause for the Anti-terrorism Crime and Security Bill. The Government will need a new Act in November2006 if it wants to continue interning suspected terrorists who claim asylum.

-Ishara Bhasi