EDITORIAL

Panorama Special: A Question Of Leadership

The Revival Responds

The programme was first broadcast on Sunday 21 August 2005, 22:20 BST, BBC One

The Panorama Special was a biased, inaccurate, irresponsible and open attack against Islam and the Muslims. It was a one-sided mudslinging competition.

The programme makers were trying to get the message across that Islam and most Muslims support terrorism, are intolerent of other beliefs and hate the west... and I think to a certain extent they got what they wanted.

It has to be said that the MCB, MAB and Islamic Foundation responded poorly to the questions.

False Reasoning

This programme will create negative and even Islamophobic reactions in many nonmuslims in the UK.

It gave the impression that it was the intolerance taught in society through 'preachers of hate' and 'hate literature' that leads young muslims down the path of extremism and terror. It chose to ignore that the main inspiration for extremists is not their local mosques but disturbing television footage about Palestine and Iraq.

What Panorama wanted to tell the viewers was Islam is really a personal thing, it shouldnt be made political.

Issues of 'ummah', 'secularism', 'kuffar', 'shariah law' etc were taken out of context and perceived as negative, radical, evil and intolerant beliefs/views.

Ordinary Muslims Not Represented

Gayasudin Siddique and the individual from Oxford undermined Muslims by saying exactly what the producers wanted to hear. None of the 'Muslim leaders' really represented the voice of the Muslims in the UK.

I dont think most people feel they are represented by the MCB anyway - but i dont think this was just an attack on MCB but an attack on Muslim beliefs, practises, image of Islam and Muslims.

Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt

An important point to note is that the producers were trying to say that MCB, who are supposed to be 'moderates' and the 'voice of the Muslims' in the UK, are actually 'fundamentalists', radical, intolerant of other beliefs, support suicide bombings and have links with other radical groups and organisations in the UK & abroad.

In other words if MCB moderates are like this then what about the rest of the Muslim leaders and groups in the UK. It is a powerful boost for the increasingly widespread view that there is no such thing as a moderate Muslim.

If I was a non Muslim watching the programme I would be uncomfortable and even scared of Islam and Muslims.

Make Your Voice Heard

If you feel the same then it is important that you complain to the BBC:
Phone: 08700 100222
Email a complaint: Just fill out this form with the relevant info.

By Letter:
BBC Complaints,
PO Box 1922,
Glasgow G2 3WT

For more information on making a complain to the BBC see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

You can also have your say on The Revival forums

Wassallaam
Sajid Iqbal
Editor, The Revival
http://www.therevival.co.uk