London ? The chief of London’s Metropolitan Police on Thursday ordered an urgent review of a decision to excuse a Muslim police officer from guarding the Israeli Embassy.

The order by Commissioner Ian Blair followed a report in The Sun newspaper saying that Constable Alexander Omar Basha, who worked in the Diplomatic Protection Group, had sought during the summer to be excused because of moral objections to Israeli bombing of Lebanon.

Press Assn., the British news agency, quoted unidentified police sources as saying the officer was willing to accept the posting, but feared reprisals against relatives in Lebanon if he was spotted guarding the embassy. Basha could not be reached for comment.

Basha’s wife is Lebanese and his father is a Syrian, said Supt. Dal Babu, chairman of the Association of Muslim Police.

“This is not about political correctness. I want to make it clear that this decision was taken on the basis of risk and safety,” Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said in a statement released by Metropolitan Police.