Today’s anniversary of the 7/7 bombings poses the BBC an interesting challenge – to provide wall-to-wall coverage without mentioning the “I-word” or the “M-word”.
No one wants to hold an entire community responsible for the sins of an extreme minority. The reponsibility for 7/7 lies with the evil-doers who planned and executed it. But given that the bombings were explicitly carried out in the name of Islam, not to mention the fact seems perverse.
The Today programme devoted most of the half-hour between 7 and 7.30 to the anniversary. As Sarah Montague so perceptively pointed out, today is the day when “four British men blew themselves up” (an Englishman, a Scotsman, an Irishman and a Welshman ?), but it was 7.23 before the M- or I-words were mentioned – when Church of England Bishop Tony Robinson told us that the bombers ‘weren’t Muslims at all’ !
It remains to be seen how the rest of the day’s coverage will pan out – but the Today programme does like to think that it sets the agenda.
I forgot something that muslims have contributed to the World: Crude, home-made rockets that don’t kill anyone – according to the islam is peace credo.
Where is the outcry by ‘moderate muslims’ the Beeb feature on a regular basis? It’s not going to happen because a) there aren’t that many moderates and b) those who can be considered moderates are afraid to stand up because of the repercussions.
The Beeb should give these people a voice (if they can find them).
disillusioned_german:
I forgot something that muslims have contributed to the World: Crude, home-made rockets that don’t kill anyone
They are trying, but don’t espect al-Beeb to tell us:
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=2819
Second volley of three missiles against Sderot Friday sets fire and sends three people into shock
July 7, 2006, 10:49 PM (GMT+02:00)
Up to Friday mid-afternoon, 17 Palestinian missiles struck Israeli locations • despite Israeli anti-missile campaign in Gaza Strip. Netivot was hit first for the first time.
In Sderot, three people hospitalized with shrapnel wounds from 6 earlier explosions. The town of Netivot, 12 km as the crow flies from northern Gaza, had its first hit. A missile landed on open ground near the place of pilgrimage at the tomb of the Kabbalist Baba Sali. Buildings were damaged earlier at Kibbutz Saad, exploding missiles landed outside Kfarm Maimon, Gan Hahamisha and Shuba. Thursday saw 13 missile launchings, 10 of which were aimed at Sderot.
Biodegradable -> sometimes it takes an institution with a long long history, to wake up to the short-termism of the soundbite political elite.
The question any English person should ask is – why isnt Prince Charles and the C of E raising the issues mentioned by the Catholic Church?
Yikes that Islamic British flag is just too hideous for words. Do they not know that it’s a combination of the crosses of CHRISTIAN Sts. Patrick, George, Andrew and David?
In the opening piece on the blog Laban wrote:
“No one wants to hold an entire community responsible for the sins of an extreme minority”
That would be no-one except the majority of the contributors in thiscomments section who have made sweeping generalisations about Islam.
And why not a lurker? Isn’t that what you lefty-liberals are constantly saying about white Christian-background people?
Not only are we collectively guilty, we’re collectively guilty for things that happened 200-300-500 years before we were born.
What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander, shouldn’t it?
A lurker | 07.07.06 – 9:52 pm,
There’s a HYS topic on 7/7:
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=1&edition=1&ttl=20060708050129&messageID=1051399?
The folowing comment is at the crux of the debate:
Added: Friday, 7 July, 2006, 19:50 GMT 20:50 UK
I am tired of hearing empty words like ‘the majority of Muslims are outraged’ by such bombings. I hear no such outrage against the bombings, only silence. While millions in the West protest against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where are the Muslims protesting against Al Qaeda and Islamic terrorism? Where is this ‘religion of peace’ everyone keeps talking about?
Jim, NYC
Recommended by 50 people
Where indeed.
“No one wants to hold an entire community responsible for the sins of an extreme minority”
Assuming of course we can all agree that these were “sins” which rather begs the question
Yikes that Islamic British flag is just too hideous for words. Do they not know that it’s a combination of the crosses of CHRISTIAN Sts. Patrick, George, Andrew and David?
Stick a Red Hand on for good measure to include Ulster
How long before HYS becomes just another forum for spewing hatred at the US/UK/Israel?
Added: Friday, 7 July, 2006, 19:03 GMT 20:03 UK
My sincerest thoughts go out to all those today that lost their lives a year ago. If it had not been for Bush and Blair this would never have happened. To see Blair at one of the services today, makes my blood boil. Perhaps a rocket would do well at number 10, and let me be the first to launch it.
tracy, essex
Recommended by 2 people
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=2365&start=0&edition=1&ttl=20060708065949
So now it’s OK to advocate the assassination of the British Prime Minister?
And can the BBC be hauled into court for such advocation?
And if not, why not?
I switched on listening to BBCs Today programme this morning, expecting to hear about the breaking news last night on Skys World News Report (8pm) following the complete transcription of the tape by SITE
http://www.siteinstitute.org/
and Ayman al Zawahiri’s remarks on two of the British suicide terrorists from yesterday evening. What I have previously seen on BBC tv was a rather garbled interpretation the night before, with FG wheeled on(direct from the Islam Expo), that they reluctantly addressed, well aware that what was released attempted to spoil the well rehearsed schedules the BBC had prepared for the next day(Easton’s interviews with Muslim victim, visit to Mosque etc.,tiny Muslim demo against terrorism(also shown on German ARD) We still havent had a comment from the BBC yet on the perceived role of Palestine:
Tanweer “the repression which the British are perpetrating in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine…he would frequently talk about the backing that the British gave the Jews”
Palestine, Jews? Presumably the BBC don’t want to comment and spoil the Islam Expo?
It’s as if the BBC don’t want to talk about the meaning of the tape anymore. Its gone away- leading story now the new Tollpuddle martyrs, the “Nat West 3”, that has united both Liberty and the CBI in its anti-Americanism. “Accused by the Americans” as John Humphreys condemns the entire nation. So its now dropped. Nothing, just some comments on headlines in todays newspapers. How does this attitude gel with the news obsession that the BBC have created with an in depth List in full and images and obituaries of all the 52 victims in the 7 July London bombings. Why is this?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/uk/05/london_blasts/victims/default.stm
The combative interview yesterday with Tessa Jowell on BBC Radio 4s lunchtime news programme was excellent. The journalist had her giddy on the ropes, with his pressing questions on why not a full inquiry into 7/7. She promised:
“A lessons learnt report that will root conclusions”
Oh, and Sky news yesterday interrupted the Regent’s Park celebrations to interview her estranged hubby David Mills, thats why you hear music in the background.
John:
The article you linked to will also interest the Americans as it includes their own ‘home grown’ zealot.
http://www.fbi.gov/terrorinfo/gadahn.htm
A quote from him in 1995…
“As I began reading English translations of the Qur’an, I became more and more convinced of the truth and authenticity of Allah’s teachings contained in those 114 chapters. Having been around Muslims in my formative years, I knew well that they were not the bloodthirsty, barbaric terrorists that the news media and the televangelists paint them to be.”
If you listen to his rant on the video, he seems to behave exactly the way he says that Muslims don’t behave.
Will the mainstream American news services cover this I wonder?
Alan (the other one) wrote;
‘Pounce. Want the BBC to cover the story of the Vicar who gave up her calling after her daughter was killed? Story and video here’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/engla…tol/ 4873248.stm
I think you will find that the date on that story is the 6th of April. Yesterday was the 7th of July the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on London a year ago. If Al Beeb can see fit to insert a story about how somebody found his faith due to those London bombings then pray tell why they didn’t have the gumption to link in a story which was actually a result.
Apples and pears somebody may say. The fact that they omitted the vicar story on their coverage and listed the others shows they did so for a purpose.
Al Beeb and how it doesn’t want the faithful in the motherland to know how well some Muslims have integrated in the UK.
AL Beeb has a policy of where any story which concerns a faith, creed or ethnicity in the UK is given parallel billing on that region of the BBC worlds news site.
Just the otherday this story was aired on both Africa and South Asia;
SA school wrong to ban nose studs
The overturning of a South African school’s ban on wearing nose studs has been welcomed by human rights lawyers.
An appeal court found that the ban was unfair and discriminatory. The family of Sunali Pillay, 15, said the nose stud was part of her Hindu tradition.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/5154186.stm
This story was aired on the UK, Scotland and South Asian BBC News web sites;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/5029752.stm
This current story is on The BBC World, America and Middle Eastern news site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5160276.stm
So with that in mind Al Beeb.
Why can I find no reference to this story on the BBC’s South Asian news site;
Family funeral for Muslim soldier ;
The funeral of a British Muslim soldier killed in Afghanistan is to take place in his home city of Birmingham.
The body of L/Cpl Jabron Hashmi, from Bordesley Green, was flown back to Britain on Friday.
His uncle described L/Cpl Hashmi – the first British Muslim serviceman to be killed in action in Afghanistan – as “a hero of Islam, Pakistan and Britain”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/5159298.stm
Did you read that last paragraph Al Beeb his Uncle called him a hero of Islam, Pakistan and Britain.
So I had a look at the BBC Urdu, Hindi and Pashto sites;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pashto/index.shtml
Nothing..
So what do I surmise from your omission of a British Soldier dying for his new country AL Beeb. That it is in your interest in which to portray Muslims as victims in the Uk.
Somebody once asked me a question about who I would rather have as a friend a Liberal or a Racist. I answered the racist.
Why?
Because the liberal will love me for the colour of my skin no matter what I do I will never be able to change his views
The racist I can get to like me by being who I am. In other words I can change his perception.
Al Beeb doing its masters work.
“Church of England Bishop Tony Robinson told us that the bombers ‘weren’t Muslims at all’!”
Trust the trendy vicar to be the person who knows what a real “muslim” is.
I get the impression he’s already been forcibly converted.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5160472.stm
“The withdrawal follows two days of intense fighting in the area, in which more than 30 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have died”
inferring that all of 30 were civillians , mown down by those evil Zionist Jews.
“The area is a stronghold of the militant organisation Hamas, and three Palestinians are reported to have died in the fighting.”
Again, no indication as to whether they were terrorists or not.
There are now three pages all more or less saying the same thing:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5160472.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5160244.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5160044.stm
make that four:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5159050.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5160044.stm says:
Five people were killed on Friday, taking the total number of Palestinians who have died in the past few days to about 30.
Most of the dead were militants, but a number of civilians have also been killed. One Israeli soldier has been shot dead.
Tell me the number please BBC!
One?
Two?
Exactly how many?
Are there so few that you don’t want us to know how restrained the IDF really is?
What I don’t grasp is this BBC obsession with depicting Muslim victims as part of the terrorist atrocity, for what purpose? Social enghineering? We know what is happening in Iraq where thousands of Muslims are dying from Islamist suicide bombs; we know that these Islamist fanatics don’t really care about collateral damage even in their own countries. Why the added pathos here by BBC journalists? Marc Easton “accompanied” yesterday Nazmud Hasan, and interviewed the family, who lost a relative. What are we to think, ergo Muslims suffered too, ergo Muslims are not all bad? Of all the 52 victims why select this one for prime time news? There follows an interview with Nazmud expressing feelings of being uncomfortable on the tube when he is carrying a rucksack “he feels that eyes are always upon him”. Oh yes, and? Ought we to have sympathy for him here, should the British public not be in a state of heightened terrorist alert for Islamist terrorists carrying rucksacks Mr Easton- what exactly is his point? He is a Muslim but not a terrorist, or sympathetic. Imagine this same conversation in an Iraqi city, after a suicide bomb attack- is he trying to tell us that nobody would be looking at him with suspicion for carrying a rucksack? What is the purpose of this drivel? So he is “proud to be Muslim, proud to be British, proud to be a Londoner” again what a cliché! Like Sir Ian Blair’s prepared gem yesterday “These people want death, London wants life”. That the BBC has this sick agenda became clear when Mark Easton summing up his day spent at Mosque, etc in tow of Mr Hasan, says to camera:
“7/7 was done to tear the multicultural fabric of London”
Really? Easton’s logic is so happy clappy liberal (the intellectual equivalent of the London Community Gospel Choir)if he really thinks that the Al-Qaeda trained terrorists set out to upset multiculturalism.
But they do inwardly, this is the tragedy of the BBC. Easton should have shadowed the father pictured today in a newspaper reading the Koran by the unnamed grave of one of the suicide bombers who still refuses to accept that he was one, maybe he should have traced some of the 13% of Muslims living here who consider them still to be martyrs- but hold on, that wouldn’t be very BBC would it, contrary to their agenda, and would clash with the impression they constantly bang on about, namely, the harmonious multicultural fabric that is London. And seeing Ken Livingston, mayor of London, running from one site to the next laying flowers, isn’t the best advert for smooth multiculturalism is he. What about those anti-Semitic comments, concentration camp remarks and sick apologetics for known Islamist fascist scholars who encourage suicide bombing. Oh, hold on, what was it Shehzad Tanweer. was urging in his video nasty that Britian “stop all financial and military support to the U.S. and Israel, and release all Muslim prisoners from Belmarsh and your other concentration camps” Forgive me if I get confused and think that the terrorists ideas and Ken Livingston’s ideas are not so very dissimilar.
Al-Grauniad: 7/7: not enough has been done
Until the government accepts that it must take some of the blame for last year’s attack, we cannot move forward.
Could it be that the peasants are finally revolting? Some encouraging comments…
Leave it to the Guardian to put up pieces on the anniversary of the bombings telling Londoners that they asked for it. Classy.
The Lib-Tards at the BBC are just that…thick….they can’t think out their whole game plane to its dark conclusion….
Which is: That if they “get their way”, and Islam rules in Europe, and Sharia Law is introduced….then the “Gays” and “Liberal Thinkers” at the BBC will be among the first marched out to the public hanging square, and strung up for their “preferences”…….INFADELS!!! The LOT of them…..lol.
Why can’t they understand that in this clash of cultures, they are on the losing and wicked side?……they are on the side that would actually see them destroyed as part of the ultimate plan…???
Morons.
This morning was cool and breezy so His Befurred Majesty was keen on a little pre-prandial exercise. The slopes of Alexandra Palace beckoned so we headed up the hill keen on witnessing the hideous hordes of Anglo-Saxons who the BBC assure us have been flocking to the IslamExpo to revel in the joys of the Muslim culture.
Or perhaps not….
We did see a remarkable number of people of what the media like to call a middle-eastern appearence.
We did spot what appeared to be the entire cast of Lawrence of Arabia, less Peter O’Tool.
The Dark Continent seemed well represented.
Now, to be fair (if you’ll excuse the expression), we didn’t proffer the 15 quid to gain admittance to the hall. We didn’t gain the impression that they were particularly dog-friendly even to a canine with a passionate interest in diverse cultures.
It is possible that it was packed with the pale and freckled, mesmerised by 16th Century Korans and the wisdom of the Prophet.
We’re just saying that we didn’t actually see many. Or to be accurate, very few.
Nevertheless, all was not lost as we did tree a squirrel (grey).
His Highness is currently consoling His dissappointment with a particularly moist and flavoursome pork pie.
PJ. In Muswell Hill on most can be found typical members of the SWP or the Respect party loitering outside Barclays Bank giving out leaflets extolling their peacefulness by urging Muswellhillians to kill Bush (obviously in more subtle language). These people are always white, often have an American or Canadian member (to show they are not anti-American per se) and always with that air of moral superiority around them.
Thank’s for the tip, CC
That would be just opposite the memorial to PC Keith Blakelock, aged 40 and a father of three, beheaded during the Broadwater Farm riot.
Oh the joy’s of multiculturalism.
Brian, I look for that comment on HYS contained words suggesting a rocket at no. 10 and I couldn’t find it. Has anyone else seen it? Has it been removed since then?
Hazel
“No one wants to hold an entire community responsible for the sins of an extreme minority.”
Pistol shooting was banned because of the actions of one man, who hadn’t even actually acquired his weapons legally.
If the bombing had been carried out by Christians, you can bet the govt and its supporters wouldn’t be nearly as understanding as they are about Muslims. (And for the record, I am neither a former pistol shooter, nor a Christian, nor a Muslim).
Hazel, thanks for that info.
Yes, it looks like they’ve deleted it.
Anyway, there’s no longer a comment at 20:03 UK time yesterday.
Here’s the comment, followed by my complaint to the moderators:
Added: Friday, 7 July, 2006, 19:03 GMT 20:03 UK
My sincerest thoughts go out to all those today that lost their lives a year ago. If it had not been for Bush and Blair this would never have happened. To see Blair at one of the services today, makes my blood boil. Perhaps a rocket would do well at number 10, and let me be the first to launch it.
tracy, essex
Recommended by 2 people
Will you let any comment through that follows your Bush and Blair bashing agenda?
You should delete this comment immediately. Unless of course you are endorsing the assassination of the British Prime Minister.
I’m not saying my complaint made a difference, they could have received many. But hell, you never know!
John.
Nice one!
Anyone seen the CBBC doco “That Summer Day” ?
I saw dozens of trailers but did not watch it. I am puzzled by the angle – the trailers all seemed to show an anti-muslim backlash. I can’t remember there actually being much of a backlash – it seemed to boil down to some black looks and maybe some unkind words. Not much of a backlash.
But here is a para from the BBC:
“The drama also touches on the anti-Muslim backlash which followed the attacks in some areas, with a bus driver refusing to let Ayesha on because she’s wearing a jihab.”
Drama gives kids’ view of bombing
…refusing to let Ayesha on because she’s wearing a jihab.
Her jihab could be covering her jihad.
But of course the BBC would never allow itself to think in those terms.
john ” the new Tollpuddle martyrs, the “Nat West 3”, that has united both Liberty and the CBI in its anti-Americanism. “Accused by the Americans” as John Humphreys condemns the entire nation.”
Yes the NatWest 3 displays well the BBC ranking system. They would generally be baying for the blood of the evil capitalists accused of fraud. But their anti-Americanism out-ranks even their hatred of bankers.
(Incidentally isn’t it the case that the same extradition arrangements exist with many other countries, especially those covered by the European Arrest Warrant? So the only objections to letting the evil Americans getting their hands on our bankers are (i) the failure of the US to adopt reciprocal arrangements – not a logical objection as it doesn’t effect the decision made when passing our law, i.e. that US justice is acceptable; or (ii)that the law should never have applied to the US because their law is too harsh, even on bankers.)
Jack Hughes:
I can’t remember there actually being much of a backlash – it seemed to boil down to some black looks and maybe some unkind words. Not much of a backlash.
You have to remember that if you look at a muslim in the wrong way, it amounts to an “islamophobic incident” in the eyes of said muslim.
A panel discussion re 7/7 aftermath on last night’s Newsnight. Included on panel, Conservative Vice-Chairman Mrs Wasri. Not very Conservative as she was far more concerned that the government should do more to win hearts & minds of Muslims, rather than seeing any mote in the Muslims’ eyes. Further, Lab MP Shahid Malik took her to task for stating that 872 people had been held for 14 days before being released without charge. Malik stated that not a single such case had occured & that she was creating resentment among Muslims. Gavin Eslor asked her to back up her claim. Rather than address the point, she resorted to a bromide on how 7/7/06 was a day when we should all be looking forward to living in peace & harmony. (41 min into programme)
Cameron’s Conservatives – what a shower!
(incidentally David Goodhart of Prospect magazine on panel, talking much sense.)
I previously noted that the BBC will not tell us how many ‘militants’ and how many civilians have died in Gaza:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5160044.stm
Five people were killed on Friday, taking the total number of Palestinians who have died in the past few days to about 30.
Most of the dead were militants, but a number of civilians have also been killed. One Israeli soldier has been shot dead.
Its getting even harder now to get actual numbers and facts:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5161820.stm
More than 30 Palestinian civilians and militants were killed, and dozens more injured, during the Israeli incursion. An Israeli solider was killed during the clashes.
How many civilians and how many ‘militants’? Note the Oh, by the way, a Jew was also killed as an afterthought.
Maybe we can get more reliable info from other sources?
Most of the 40 armed Palestinians killed and 80 injured since last week were struck down by Israeli Air Force fire
Over 70 terrorists dead since onset of Summer Rain
what about these dead Palestinians, are they also counted by the BBC as killed by the IDF?
Gaza blast kills mum and 2 kids; IDF denies involvement
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150885946841&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
and these two “militants”
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/weapon/english/report115.htm
and this girl
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/weapon/english/report116.htm
For sure they’ll be included in the body count Rachel, along with any ‘honour’ killings and executions of ‘collaborators’ that may occur.
Collateral damage waiting to happen
and more: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21408_Palestinian_Human_Shield_Watch&only
The sad thing is – to anyone of my generation, is that we can’t believe the BBC any more.
We can’t believe the BBC any more.
reith – you mock it, you cherrypick, you FAIL to answer the many challenges people pose.
But please pass the word up the line.
We don’t trust the BBC
THE BBC IS NO LONGER TRUSTWORTHY.
Time after time, the BBC LIES, or OMITS, or SPINS
jack quoted:-> “The drama also touches on the anti-Muslim backlash which followed the attacks in some areas, with a bus driver refusing to let Ayesha on because she’s wearing a jihab”
the bbc , getting the wrong end of the stick as per usual.
a bus driver’s primary concern is the safety of his passengers – its part of his training.
so, in the wake of the bombings, an instant risk analysis goes off in his head – does he risk offending 1 person versus the risk of his passengers being blown to pieces?
now, if that was still going on a year later – well, that’s prejudice.
but in the wake of the bombings – that’s just common sense and completely understandable.
The BBC is Obsolete….
Losing 1 Million Viewers/Lisenters every year……
Its power is fading, and like a cornered animal, it is lashing out……
It is dying….and knows it…….
Strike announcments to follow this week…..in fighting, termoil, lies and deceptions are now being deleivered directly to the BBC staff……
I’m enjoying watching them suffer…….they deserve all the pain they get……they have been traitors to this country…they have let the British people down, in favour of the failed politics of Socialism and Fanatical religion….
The BBC has gone backwards..it used to be stuck in the 1980s, but now it is stuck in Dark Ages……..
I tell everyone I know that the BBC is lying, and most of them now believe it. I’ve shown people at work the Pallywood productions and that one is a powerful persuader. The most recent, and conclusive, pointer to the BBC’s anti-British stance is the number of deaths suffered by British troops in Iraq. Just ask anyone you know how many Taliban our troops killed and why the BBC doesn’t report it? The figures are there, but the traitors won’t report it.
Yet another attempt by the BBC on radio 4s bh this morning to introduce a Muslim voice into the anniversary proceedings.I’ve heard so many these past few days I’ve forgotten what I’m supposed to think about the prospect of woman Immans- the BBC seems to think its interesting. Should I be pleased? Anne Cryer, MP, certainly thinks it would be a good idea. According to the guest speaker they are already being trained here in the UK, better than training suicide bombers. I’m doubtful, however, that they will be able to exercise a restraining influence on these young men- which was the gist of the BBC debate. I guess we should be thankful for small mercies, because digital channel hopping last night I came across “Talk Sport” radio and heard the unmistakable voice of Georg Galloway, MP, who was standing in for a Mr. Mike Dick’s show from 10pm • 1pm. Non stop talk on the subject of Israel & Palestine, consisting of GG using his mostly sychophantic callers as just so many stepping stones for controlled lecturing rants, with GG repeatedly announcing in between the callers that this was “The mother of all talk shows”(I kid you not). It sounded so. I hope the security services were taping it, all sorts of extremist voices were crawling out of the woodwork and praising him.
If Christianity got anything like the coverage in British Media and in The deliberations of the Church of England as Islam does it would be an astonishing situation perhaps indicative that the country was not after all an Islamic state
will
Re the NatWest 3: for once the BBC is doing something right (although maybe for the wrong reasons). These guys are being extradited to the US without the US authorities having to set out a prima facie case against them. Why? Because this government/parliament has signed up to a crassly unequal extradition agreement with the US: unequal, because the US Senate has not ratified the agreement and there is little prospect that it will: unlike the US the UK still has to provide prima facie evidence to a US court before an extradition from the US to the UK can proceed. John Humphreys’ kebabbing yesterday of “Baroness” Scotland, and her obvious and patronising mendacity, on this issue was an excellent example of what the BBC can do when it tries. It doesn’t hurt the BBC agenda that the US can be portrayed as a villain of this piece although all the villainy lies with Blair, Goldsmith and (the then Home Secretary) Blunkett.
john
Also on Broadcasting House, the description by Steve Norris (a member of the so-called Conservative Party I believe) of traditional Conservative voters as “right wing nutters” compared to those who will become Conservative voters (as if) because of David Cameron’s “let’s love all hoodies” policies. This is just the “balance” the BBC can point to to justify its claim to impartiality.
Sorry – don’t really intend to monopolise this thread but the BBC is, again, showing its true colours. “Document” on Radio 4 tomorrow will be telling us about some more shameful aspects of Britain’s imperial past http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/document/document.shtml and, announced, but not on its website, a story of Jewish terrorists’ plans to bomb the Houses of Parliament (in 1946?). Wow! Anti-Imperialism and anti-Zionism all in 30 minutes.
The last series of “Document” disclosed http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/document/index_winter2006.shtml how we negotiated with Nazis at the end of WW2, how we (the English I assume) swindled the Scots out of their oil, how we aided Turkish insurgents in Cyprus etc etc. I’m waiting for “Document” or a similar BBC programme to tell us all the truth about Saint Allende of Chile, Saint Castro of Cuba and Saint Mandela of everywhere.
umbongo
yes when I heard Norris say that, I must admit that there was a time (as Transport minister) when I considered him to fall into that category. How times change, Broadcasting House, has really got to be one of the wost BBC “news” programmes. They always attempt to be humourous and flippant for some reason. Cameron and hoodies is their cup of tea (what an obnoxious woman talking about the papers, tellung us that her child goes to the best school in London, yuk!) I turn it off these days, it’s just I do enjoy professor Lisa Jardine’s piece, just before 9am and the radio stays on.
“Just ask anyone you know how many Taliban our troops killed and why the BBC doesn’t report it? The figures are there, but the traitors won’t report it.”
i find that aspect remarkable. if our boys were in the Falklands again, the BBC would be hyping the losses at Goose Green, whilst neglecting to mention the several hundred Argentine casualties.
time and again, anytime the Taliban engage coalition forces, they get a bloody nose and an absolute pasting – yet this is never highlighted. i would bet that the British commanders are getting exasperated at Al Beeb’s coverage by now.
I agree with Anonymous above. The future will record the BBC as a traitorous organisation.
Well they were quite obsessed with the Belgrano… somehow the idea of sinking an enemy naval vessel in time of war gets the BBC in a tizzy. These days it’d be reported as the massacre of innocents, and then the sinking of the Sheffield as a righteous and justified revenge… meanwhile they’d have their reporters in Buenos Aires, reporting from outside some government building and proclaiming that the people of “the maldives” were rooting for the argentines and yearning to be free of the British oppressors once and for all. Then they’d report on murders of innocent argentine tourists who just happened to be nearby the landing sites, and inflate the numbers for good measure.
And, of course, the Argentines would be killed, but the British would merely “die”.
This on al-beeb this morning ….
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/5162506.stm
But no mention of all the bomb squad officers attending etc and the controlled explosion by bomb squad at the local police station on a suspect device. Is this the rop at work or what as i would love to know seeing as i live about 600 yards away and we do have a very large population of plumbers living here and not all of them friendly.
Umbongo ” Why? Because this government/parliament has signed up to a crassly unequal extradition agreement with the US: unequal, because the US Senate has not ratified the agreement and there is little prospect that it will:
Yes, but my point was – what does it matter, as regards justice, whether the US reciprocates or not? Either the process we have agreed for the extradiction from the UK to the US & 40 odd other countries is fair or it isn’t.
In what way would the justice meted out to the bankers be fairer if there were also US citizens being shipped to the UK for trial under the same extradition terms?
billy best:
That story has now been updated with quite a lot of detail. Still no name or anything to indicate religion or ethnic origin but talk of ‘mental illness’ and ‘the man in custody was thought to have military experience’:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/5162506.stm
The man entered Westgate police station – which is only yards from Benwell Grove – at about 0615 BST.
He had bag containing a handgun with a silencer, a pump-action shotgun, a quantity of ammunition and an improvised explosive device, described by police as a “thunder flash with nails around it”.
Shortly afterwards officers found four bodies in two downstairs rooms of the house.
Asst Ch Con Keith Matheson, of Northumbria Police, said the victims had suffered fatal gunshot wounds at close range.