In the days before 7/7, when the BBC were still worrying about a post-9/11 backlash, someone had the idea of a programme depicting ordinary Muslims coping with other people’s prejudices. “Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic“, went out on 12th June 2005, to mixed reaction.
What must the odds be against the footage inadvertantly including alleged British jihadists?
Mohammed Hamid, 50, who called himself “Osama bin London” and ran a religious book stall in Oxford Street, London, described the 7/7 tube and bus bombings, in which 52 people died, as “not even a breakfast for me”, the court heard. Many of the paintball sessions, indoctrination meetings and combat drills he organised across England were attended by a number of those who later carried out the failed 21/7 London bombings, it was said …
A paintballing combat trip was held at the Springwood Centre in Tonbridge, Kent. The visit was even filmed by a BBC documentary crew and later broadcast in a programme entitled Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic.
Oh dear. It would be funny if only it wasn’t truly off the scale for ‘irony’.
On a lighter note, it reminds me of the T-shirt worn by the Asian guy with a rucksack just post 7-7; ‘Don’t freak, I’m a Sikh’.
I do hope the BBC didn’t pay him expenses or they are guilty of financing terrorism. 8-(
Then again with the physical, equipment, training and moral support they give to the Palestinians….
Well, they do (or did) have a Hamas party memeber on the payroll, so it wouldn’t be the first time.
Oh, the irony. I wonder if the BBC made any similar programmes in the wake of the July 07 incident. If they did, perhaps they could lend the tapes to MI5, just in case.
Careful now.
All have pleaded not guilty. The trial continues…
“Atilla Ahmet, has pleaded guilty to three counts of soliciting murder in connection with the case.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7039608.stm
Well, thank God he turns out to be a *genuine* islamist fanatic, and not some BBC employee dragged in to fake it when they couldn’t find a real one.
David – I did point out that these were “alleged British jihadists”. It’s still rather unfortunate.
Laban
Indeed. But worth mentioning in the context of the comments section. Before anyone put something on record that might be a problem. There’s a rather large contempt case coming up quite soon funnily enough…
I can’t belive that the BBC was actually filming the ‘paintballing’ while they were doing it. Priceless.
What a powerful nightmare for the BBC.