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Islamic Human Rights Commission

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22 August 2005

Press Release: IHRC condemns Panorama as Islamophobic and Inciteful

The Islamic Human Rights Commission condemns yesterday’s Panorama programme, ‘A Question of Leadership’ as extremely Islamophobic and likely to incite hatred against Muslims.

IHRC views the entire programme as a deliberate attempt to mislead viewers about Islamic concepts and beliefs. It is a sure sign of the level of Islamophobia in Britain today that such an inciteful anti-Muslim programme could be broadcast as part of the flagship series of BBC.

The entire programme had an anti-Muslim theme running right through it with Qur’anic verses being quoted in a melodramatic voice against a backdrop of sinister music. One clear example of the deliberate attempt to mislead viewers was the idea that Maulana Maududi’s vision of an Islamic state would bear “A kind of resemblance to the fascist and communist states”. The actual paragraph from which this was quoted explained the polar opposite between an Islamic state and fascist and communist states.

IHRC is further deeply concerned as to why the Muslim community is held to a different standard than other communities when it comes to its beliefs. The programme demonised the belief of Muslims that Islam is superior to other faiths and had“distaste” for secular culture. However, neither Jews, Christians, nor Secularists, who all believe in the superiority of their ideology, are ever demonised for this belief.

The show ended upon a note of confrontation echoing the Clash of Civilizations theory as much as within Islam as against the West.

IHRC Chair Massoud Shadjareh stated:

“This was not an honest legitimate investigation of an organisation but an attack on Islam. This was a deliberate attempt to misrepresent Islamic principles followed by millions of Muslims around the world. What this programme manifested was that the Muslim community is being held to standards that have never been expected of any other community.”

For more information please contact (+44) 20 8904 4222, or (44) 7958 522196 or email:info@ihrc.org.[ ENDS ]

Islamic Human Rights Commission

PO Box 598

Wembley

HA9 7XH

United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222

Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183

Email: info@ihrc.org

Web: www.ihrc.org