Edinburgh Sucks! | Huge call for Shami (KhaNolan) Khan’s resignation

Craigmillar

Huge call for Shami (KhaNolan) Khan’s resignation

By The Basa ⋅ July 23, 2006 ⋅

shami KhaNolan Khan The council’s only Asian councillor who has himself been accused of racism at an East Edinburgh Local Development Committee meeting has once again used the race card after his son was arrested over the weekend by accusing the police of “institutional racism” and claimed officers from St Leonards Police Station mistreated his son.

The incident followed a large fight which erupted outside the nightspot involving several Asian youths at 2.30am on Thursday.

Zeshan Khan was charged with possession of an offensive weapon after allegedly taking off his belt and using it to threaten door staff, as well as a breach of the peace.

The article in the Evening news has brought in a HUGE response of comments with even the Asians calling Khan’s words a load of crap. In the words of people who say they witnessed the councillors accused criminal son on the night:

Jonny, Edinburgh / 9:33am 23 Jul 2006

Being outside of City nightclub having a smoke when the incident happened on wednesday, the doorstaff had every right to make the 999 call! The group of eight or so asian youths ended up brandishing bottles and as the police said a few did have belts off, what else were they going to do?? Run into the street like vigilantes just so Mr Khan could have some other reason for playing the racism issue? The doorstaff and police were extremely professional, and very calm. The way Mr Khan is talking its sounds like they smashed the youths up, if its been caught on camera which it probably has, you’ll see a different story, and that the apparent victims were actually the agressors!

As always there were a few shouts of, you know who i am, obviously we do now!!! As for being picked on, did anyone ask the two random guys who ended up being punched and slapped as they were getting in a taxi? All because they were trying to calm the situation down!

Why bring up the race card? I have mixed race friends and we have never had any problems when clubbing anywhere and certainly no trouble from the police! Why try and blame someone else for your sons problems, can you not stand up and take a father role and punish him? Thats exactly what my father would have done! People like your son ruin other peoples nights out with incidents like this, and as for trying to clean up thugs and hooligans from edinburgh’s streets, you obviously need to start on your own doorstep!

and…

GS, Edinburgh / 2:44pm 23 Jul 2006

Yes the thread is getting off track. Having also witnessed the events on wed night Mr Khans son was removed from the club by the bouncers for voilent behaviour towards others inside - the victims were in fact also of ethnic minority. Mr Khan Jnr’s response to this was to use bottles and his belt to vent his anger on the security staff who remained professional throughout. At no point was racism mentioned until Mr Khan Snr became involved the following day. Yes the man is an absolute disgrace and not a fit and proper person to hold the position he does. Only the residents of mountcastle can change this as he clearly does not have morals hence the chance of him resigning are slim. Mr Khan should spend more time on educating his son on the difference between right and wrong instead of sitting on any committe that will have him. His son is a violent thug, irrespective of his colour - and the racism card has been played to serve as a means of justification. However, the evidence available to the police will ensure the outcome in the end is the correct one.

Incidentally. there were a number of Asians in City Nightclub last night despite the call for a boycott - hence Khan’s credibility is zero.

Maybe some moutcastle residents should take action here - having some like Khan represent them does not meet their best interests.

and even more frighteningly because Khan has obviously instilled these morals into his son:

I am the third to say that I was a witness to the incident……

The boy deserved to be asked to leave. He was then courteously escorted out the premises. He and his friends became like vicious thugs and scared a lot of innocent bystanders who did not know what was going on and a man was punched for no reason !

When the police turned up, one of them (in light of Mr Khans release, i wonder who !), said, “Do you know who i am, you will lose your job tomorrow”.

There are more, so far the comments on the story is currently approaching 100 and a good deal of reading for the good people of Duddingston who Khan is supposed to be representing. Unfortunately, it seems that Khan has forgotten why he was elected and hopefully will be thrown out at the next election.

KhanNolan has been featured here in EdinburghSucks before for being the only Councillor on the City of Edinburgh Council who not only supported but openly supported Paul Nolan and his crooked cabal who have been screwing Craigmillar for years.

Some of the comments correspondents to the Evening News story have added some interesting words for thought:

Bob, Edinburgh / 3:59pm 23 Jul 2006

Amazing! An everyday occurence were an alleged criminal act has been committed, the police summoned by other members of the community, and once again the very fabric of democracy and separation of powers that ensures fairness to all is at threat!

I think it is about time a police complaint like this one is followed in the press to ensure public confidence is ensured and these officers (once investigated and cleared) are not then later punished by some internal discipline procedure at the bequest of the powers at be.

The police board, to clarify in the UK is not the supervisor or regulator of the police. It is there for no other reason than other controlling finances. Law and order and Racism in particular are extremely important issues and much as anyone committing racially motivated offences should recieve the full force of the law so should those who seek to manipulate the powerfull nature of this societal issue.

It does no one any good from exploiting it as from the comments above. Police officers are members of our democratic society too, they are not second class citizens they will of course I imagine be investigated as it is a serious allegation however, they appear in my view to have been libelled for the incident along with every member of Lothain and Borders Police.

As a member of the community I would expect the Chief Constable to fully investigate this matter and pass any recomendations on to the Police Federation to protect their members in the event this extremely public allegation has no justification. Public officials do after all have legal and moral oligations to abide. It has become to easy to critisice the police with no check on the balances of power that maintain the freedom of our society and constitutional structure.

and…..

Graham, Edinburgh / 6:07pm 22 Jul 2006

So would Councillor Khan like to explain what, exactly, he’s been doing on the Police Board all this time, overseeing the organisation (and happily taking the money) he’s suddenly decided is ‘racist’.

I recall the last time a member of the Good Kooncillor’s family fell out with the police - his wife, who had a slight ‘misunderstanding’ about her driving - he also played the ‘Big R’ joker card and two decent Cops were hung out to dry on his say-so by the spineless but Oh-so-politically-correct Chief Constable.

If he had a scrap of integrity, Councillor Khan would accept this disgrace brought upon him by his family, compounded by his own outrageous utterances, and resign, not only from the Police Board but from the Council. Sadly, that’s not the way of our political masters these days; they’ll shamelessly abuse their elected office to exercise whatever personal hobby-horse comes along. Hope his Constituents remember his hypocrisy next May!!

and finally:

James / 2:47pm 23 Jul 2006

This is not the first time Mr Khan has used the press and his position to influence the police with regard to his family. His strategy is getting in first and planting the seed of doubt. His wife was arrested and he used his contacts in the police to get the whole thing swept under the carpet and did that by first, playing the race card and secondly making out the police were at fault and not his wife. Exactly like he is doing on this occasion, only this time it’s his son. By abusing his position as councillor and as a member currently sitting on the police board he had then, and still has now, access to senior police officers and there is no doubt it works for him.

Honour and integrity appear to go out the window when he is trying to save his family, but if they do the deed then they should, like all other members of the public, pay the penalty. The previous false claim cost the public thousands of pounds by having another police force investigate his bogus claim but it had the desired effect as it got his wife off the hook because senior officers gave in to him.

Not because police officers did wrong but because they want to keep him sweet and on their side. He is a powerful man in the Asian community and fixing things for him keeps him on side and useful to police. So what if minor crimes get ignored? Being treated equally is not what Mr Khan wants nor gets. Mr Khan plays on this fact and uses it to good effect. If this so called spokesman for the Asian community speaks out against racism then you would think he would be telling the truth. Unfortunately that is not always the case.

I feel sorry for Mr Khan, as his family is quickly using up what little credibility he has with the press and police.
One day someone in a position of authority will have the guts to say “this is not right, let’s start treating him and his family as any other person would be treated”. After all is that not exactly what he wants?

Meanwhile he blames all and sundry for what has happened and because decent people will always give the underdog the benefit of the doubt he gets away with it time and time again.

It is despicable that he gets to remain in a position where integrity is required but is blatantly lacking.
The Evening News forum has allowed readers to voice their concerns over this abuse, because lets not forget that is exactly what it is. Without this forum Mr Khan could give his one side view and nothing more would be said.

So whilst racism is totally unacceptable, more so is the false reporting of it and by someone who should know better. He has done a huge disservice to the ethnic community he professes to represent by introducing race to gain and advantage and I am sure all members of the community will see him for what he is.