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# MI5 rejects terrorist profiling
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/mi5-rejects-terrorist-profiling/
- Published: 2008-09-12T15:09:20.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:41:38.000Z
- Author: Tom Griffin
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:41

**Tom Griffin (London,** [**OK**](https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom)**):** Over on our sister blog terrorism.opendemocracy, [Daniel Moeckli ](https://www.opendemocracy.net/terrorism/article/racial%5Fprofiling%5FMI5%5FUK)looks at a [recent MI5 report](https://www.opendemocracy.net/terrorism/article/racial%5Fprofiling%5FMI5%5FUK) which challenges many of the assumptions on which the political debate about terrorism in Britain is based:

*The report, which apparently is based on several hundred case studies, reveals that British-based terrorists fit "no single demographic profile". Most of them are male, but women also play an important role. The majority are British nationals, not illegal immigrants. There is a high proportion of converts. Importantly, MI5 concludes that "assumptions cannot be made about suspects based on skin colour, ethnic heritage or nationality."* 
  
*Yet exactly such assumptions have informed British anti-terrorism policing in recent years. Government officials and high-level police officers have made it clear that law enforcement efforts should focus on certain ethnic groups.*

Some will be suspicious about the timing of the leak ([if leak it was](http://p10.hostingprod.com/@spyblog.org.uk/blog/2008/08/the-guardian---mi5-restricted-document---understanding-radicalisation-and-violen.html?ref=opendemocracy.net)), which came at the same time that MI5's role in the [Binyam Mohamed case](http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/21/law.guantanamo1?ref=opendemocracy.net) was coming under judicial scrutiny. Nevertheless, the findings ring true and perhaps explain why some [hawkish commentators](http://www.melaniephillips.com/articles-new/?p=611&ref=opendemocracy.net) have long been worried about '[PC spooks](http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/libimages/182.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net)' in the intelligence services.