"Glories of Islam" bias.

This is an email sent to Channel 5, regarding bias in a programme.

(NOTE: To anyone wishing to be helpful: This is an email that I have already sent. It is NOT a petition, therefore do NOT send any additional copies, as that is likely to cause confusion, which will not be helpful.)


"Glories of Islam" bias.

Channel 5 showed two very interesting programmes on Tuesday 28th November.

"Glories of Islam" was followed by "Hitler's Private World:Revealed".

The first programme showed some very impressive Islamic art within a number of Mosques. The programme also gave a potted history of the Middle East.

The second programme showed how it was possible to automatically lipread from Hitler's private cine films, which were recorded without sound. It gave a remarkable insight into the man himself.

I appreciate the effort that Channel 5 have expended on these quality programmes. I have no problems at all with the second programme.

However, the first programme was significantly biased. It is important that Channel 5 should follow this by providing a programme or programmes giving a more balanced view of Islam. At this time of increasing awareness of Islamic terrorism, and of its inspiration in the Quran, a simplistic display of Islamic art, however impressive to the eye, cannot cover up the reality of the brutal aspects of that religion.

In effect, we were being asked to suspend our critical faculties, lulled by the hypnotic tones of the presenter Professor Akbar Ahmed.

It would be like an occupant of a Nazi concentration camp being asked to admire the quality of an SS officer's uniform, whilst being marched to the gas chamber.

There are certain similarities between Nazi doctrines, and Islamic doctrines.

For example, both wish to exterminate Jews. Both spread their ideology by violent means where necessary. Both have a supremacist attitude. Both persecute homosexuals.

Here are some quotes to illustrate these points:

"Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' " " Hadith Volume 4, Book 52, Number 176:

"And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!" Quran 9.30

"Wherefore for the iniquity of those who are Jews did We disallow to them the good things which had been made lawful for them and for their hindering many (people) from Allah's way. And their taking usury though indeed they were forbidden it and their devouring the property of people falsely, and We have prepared for the unbelievers from among them a painful chastisement." Quran 4.160-161

"O Prophet! urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand." Quran 8.65

"Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection." Quran 9.29

It was interesting to recognise another parallel between Nazi doctrine and Islam: Quoting from the "Hitler's Private World" programme:

"..handing out medals to young mothers who produced good Aryans."

Within Islam, a young mother is considered to have all her sins forgiven when she gives birth. A rather more significant incentive than a metal disk on the end of a ribbon.

Interestingly, neither Muslims nor Hitler are too keen on pigs. Regarding Goering: "Pigs eat the flesh of their own."

The truth about Islam is readily available on the internet, and so if Channel 5 gives a seemingly uncritical analysis, it will simply be to the detriment of that channel's reputation.

A website worth visiting is: http://www.apostatesofislam.com/
Also: http://www.faithfreedom.org/

Within British law, a witness must "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". British law has its roots in Judaeo-Christian principles. Such principles of honesty do not apply within Islam.

The Crusades were mentioned in the programme more than once. I personally believe that the Crusades were a mistake. However, there was no mention at all about why the Crusades occurred, which was to try to regain lands that had previously been predominantly Christian. It may be that you can tell the truth, but unless you tell the whole truth, the overall effect is that of a lie.

It is interesting to consider how peaceful the Middle East would become, if the Palestinians were to revert to their original religion, which was Christianity. True Christians have no difficulty living peacefully alongside Jews.

A significant contrast with Islam. Here are quotes that demonstrate that Islam cannot possibly integrate peacefully with any other religion:

"O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people." Quran 5.51

"O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)." Quran 9.123


...and nothing but the truth: We were told in the programme that there is one shared God, for Jews, Christians and Muslims. However, even an Islamic scholar will tell you that the reality is somewhat different. The God of the Bible, Yahweh (also known as Jehovah) is not necessarily the same as Allah. Certainly their histories have very different roots. Of course there are some aspects of the Quran that have been borrowed from the Bible, in a rather disjointed and distorted way. It would be false logic however, to automatically assume some level of equivalence. It would be like saying that an aeroplane has the same function as a car, simply by observing that they both have wheels.

I do suspect however, that many Muslims do not really understand their own religion. For example, we are told that there is no god but Allah. However, the existence of three goddesses is rarely mentioned. They are: al-Lat and al-Uzza and Manat. One goddess, al-Lat, is associated with the moon, another, al-Uzza, with the evening star (Venus). Hence the crescent moon and star symbols found on the flags of many Islamic states, and on top of Mosques etc. The third goddess, Manat, is associted with a pair of shears, with which she cuts the thread of life. (Maybe when it came to Jesus, this goddess had an argument with Allah. Maybe she cut the thread of life, and Allah restored it, hence the resurrection from the dead. Sorry, I am just being mischevous.) Prior to the rise of Islam, all three goddesses were worshipped at Mecca, together with their father, the moon god al-Llah (Allah). Go to the following website for more details: http://www.bible.ca/islam/

It is a frequent misconception, or deliberate propaganda, that the word "Islam" means "peace". It does not. The word "Islam" is derived from the Arabic word "al-silm", which means "surrender" or "submission".

Channel 5 must provide a balance to this "Glories of Islam" programme, which can be considered to be Islamic propaganda.

May I suggest, as an absolute minimum, that immediately before the next programmes in this series, that you issue a warning. Similar to a warning about violent scenes or strong language. May I suggest these words:

"The following programme gives one view of the religion of Islam. Channel 5 recognises that such a view is not universal, and it is the responsibility of the viewer to judge for themselves the veracity and emphasis of the statements made within this programme"

Here are some ideas for programmes that you may find interesting, by way of balance:

1. What if.. Suppose that all the violent verses had not been added to the Quran in the latter part of Mohammed's career. Effectively, Islam would be considered to be a rather wayward Christian sect. How would the world have developed?

2. What if.. Suppose that Islam had not been quite so effective in squashing opposition. Therefore Palestinians had remained essentially Christian. How would Israel have developed?

3. What if.. The march of Islam had not been stopped at the gates of Vienna.

4. Dangerous ideals: Explore the parallels between Nazi doctrines and Islamic doctrines.

5. Can Islam ever have a Reformation?

6. Can Islam ever be compatible with Democracy? (Things that Bush and Blair should have known before they started their Iraq adventure.)

7. The physiology of being stoned to death.

8. The homosexual hypocracy.

9. Muslim feminists.

10. Islamic Eskimos: What do they do when Ramadan falls within the perpetual daylight of summer? (Humour - No offence intended to Eskimos.)

So, in conclusion, be bold, and tell the truth. Thank goodness for the internet, because its credibility surpasses that of the traditional media. It is now time for newspapers and television to catch up.

I look forward to watching the next programme in the "Glories of Islam" series. Presumably on Tuesday evenings at 7:15 p.m..


The reply:


Date: 11th December 2006


Dear Correspondent


Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding Glories Of Islamic Art. We apologise for the delay in responding.


We were sorry to read your comments about this series celebrating the art and architecture of Islam down the ages.


We have logged your comments in the Viewer Enquiries Report, which is circulated throughout the company. Also, your complaint will be noted in the quarterly report to our regulator. Commercial television is regulated in the UK by Ofcom (the Office of Communications).


The final episode of Glories Of Islamic Art has been scheduled for transmission at 19:15 on 12th December on Five. We hope that you are available to watch the programme.


If there is anything further we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for your interest in Five.

Yours sincerely

Kevin

VIEWER ADVISOR

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Humanity needs peace not Islam.