Monthly Archives: February 2008

FROM GALWAY TO GAZA

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. Delighted to read that Egypt is not prepared to take any nonsense from an Irishwoman who was found sneaking into Hamas controlled Gaza. Treasa Ni Cheannabhain, her daughter and an Egyptian niece were allowed back into Egypt on Thursday but she was immediately taken in for questioning. On Saturday, she said she was given a choice by the Egyptian authorities – to come before a military court, or to return to Gaza indefinitely. She has chosen to face the court (!) rather than spend more time with her dear Hamas buddies. She crossed over into Gaza illegally from Egypt last Saturday after being refused legal entry by Egyptian authorities. On Sunday, Egyptian forces resealed the Gaza border, nearly two weeks after its Israeli-built barriers had been blown apart by (sic) militants. Egyptian border officials refused them re-entry, even though Ms Ni Cheannabhain is married to an Egyptian citizen. They had been distributing money to Palestinians collected by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Just a few questions. For starters, this story is posted by the BBC in their Northern Ireland news section. Last time I checked MY Atlas, Galway is in the Republic of Ireland. Isn’t this one more instance of the BBC doing its level best to imply that Northern Ireland is somehow not part of the United Kingdom – which would mean it holds the same view as Irish republicans? Next, Hamas openly seek the destruction of Israel and engage in continual acts of terror. Yet the BBC avoids all mention of this merely indicating that Ms Cheannabhain wanted to dispense “charity aid” amongst the terror supporting population of Gaza. I also note that the BBC refers to Hamas “fighters” – cat got their tongue when it comes to saying the T-word?

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THE CONTINUING SHARIA SAGA.

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Well now, didn’t the Archdhimmi of Canterbury cause quite the media firestorm which his shilling for Sharia? It’s been good to see the near universal condemnation he has attracted, proving that the majority of people here aren’t prepared to see Islamic law given any form of equivalence with our own. But I note that the BBC leads with a piece in which Williams gets to “defend” his ineptness. Apparently on his website, Mullah Williams does his je ne regrette rien routine. He’s shocked, yes shocked, at the vehemence of criticism send his way. Good. I reckon the BBC is shocked as well.

But there were a couple of weasel lines inserted into this piece by the BBC. Consider this; “Islamic Sharia law is a legal and social code designed to help Muslims live their daily lives, but it has proved controversial in the West for the extreme nature of some of its punishments.” Sorry, but Sharia law may be legal in downtown Tehran where they hang the homosexuals and stone the adulterers but it sure as heck ain’t legal here. It is tolerated within the scope of English law, wrongly in my view. There is a big difference between something being tolerated and it being legal. Also, the author implies it is only we in the West that have an issue with Sharia. Really? I guess those tens of thousands of Somalians that flee their land to escape the Sharia Courts didn’t get that memo. As for the “controversial” aspect to it, isn’t that a tad of an understatement? Further, if only “some” of its punishments are extreme in nature, do we assume that the writer of this article thinks others form of Sharia punishment are OK? Also note how the Muslim Council of Britain – that vipers nest much loved by Al Beeb- rush to defend Mullah Williams. Why is this unrepresentative group given the chance to pose as the voice of British Muslims, when in fact many British Muslims want nothing to do with it?

The BBC article concludes with the Bishop of Hulme, the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, saying that in Williams… “We have probably one of the greatest and the brightest Archbishops of Canterbury we have had for many a long day. He is undoubtedly one of the finest minds of this nation.” And on that note, the BBC items concludes. I’m in tears, aren’t you? Oh the injustice of it all. The Beeb must be so upset that their pal Williams has taken such a pasting in the past few days and it’s nice to see them doing their level best for him. Always fair and balanced, right?

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ADVANCING THE GAY AGENDA.

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The BBC always loves to help the militant gay agenda and perhaps this is why it gives due prominence to the headline “Anti Gay police complaints rise.” Who says so? The Gay Police Assoication.

Well, they would, wouldn’t they? If you read through the item it’s a blatant piece of homophobia propaganda, based on the fact that the Gay Police Association received 350 calls this past year, compared to 260 the previous year. And this is a headline? The story goes to conjure up a figure of an “estimated” 17,000 homophobic incidents concerning homosexual police officers but remarkably enough, this is based on the fact that these haven’t been reported “for fear of intimidation”! Hearsay, in other words. It’s funny how the BBC pays so much attention to what I view to be little more than grievance groups like the Gay Police Association, the Black Police Association and the Muslim Police Association, giving them the oxygen of publicity that they so crave. It also implies division and rancour amongst the Police, which cannot be helpful to the morale (let alone the moral) of those who enforce the rule of law and order.

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General BBC-related comment thread:

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Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. this is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may be moderated

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A LITTLE BIAS HERE, A LITTLE BIAS THERE.

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The BBC’s showcase political TV programme in Northern Ireland is called “Hearts and Minds” and it is broadcast on a Thursday night. As has been mentioned before here, I am on occasional contributor being the token right-winger and anti peace-processor. Last night it ran an item on the US election and both points of view were represented – Hillary and Obama’s!! Disgracefully, the programme could only find US students living in NI who were democrats, and so the entire discussion was about the Dem fortunes. The presenter, Noel Thompson, also approvingly quoted Dan Rather, in evident admiration. (Given Rather’s ignoble exit from his job, I would have thought it might be better to keep quiet about him) GOP candidate John McCain got one sentence. This is all part of the co-ordinated cheer-leading for the Democrats on behalf of the BBC and it without doubt unfair and unbalanced.

Meanwhile back in National BBC land, did you see the “Shami Chakrabarti show” aka Question Time? What a dismal spectacle this was – with a panel that was yet again loaded! We had the gormless Labour MP and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burhham. (Left) We had the ubiquitous Shami Chakrabarti (Left), we had Lib-Dem Julia Goldsworthy (Left), we had Glaswegian entrepreneur (Left) and to balance, Chris Grayling, a Conservative MP and former BBC producer. The audience came from Liverpool (hard left). As ever, it was well chaired by Dimbleby – but the left wing view prevails on every issue. This programme is institutionally dysfunctional I’m afraid. The selection of panelists is bias incarnate. Can you imagine a QT programme where four of the five panelists were from a conservative background? Of course not – it would not happen. But having four out of five from a Leftist background seems so very reasonable, right?

Then to finish, Five Live – and the morning programme hosted by Nicky Campbell. I caught it just after 8am and it covered the Sharia Law news story by getting… the view of some Muslims on it. Anyone who tuned in would have heard some classic Islamic dissembling and some very meek and mild questioning from Nicky Campbell who was obviously reluctant to pursue exactly what the Muslim spokemen were claiming. Listening to the gentlemen from Peterborough mosque speak, why one would conclude Sharia law is a wise and kindly form of judgement. And naturally, he added that NO-ONE is suggesting that the criminal aspect of Sharia be implemented in the UK. Heaven forbid.

Just three snap shots of the BBC in 24 hours pumping out unbalanced opinion. And we pay a mandatory tax to facilitate this?

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SHILLING FOR SHARIA.

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Did you see that the BBC has given due prominence to the outrageous claim by Rowan Williams, part-time Druid and full time hypocrite, that Sharia law in the UK “is inevitable” and indeed could help sustain social cohesion? Well, I’m not sure if beheadings for thieves in Blackburn, stonings of homosexuals in Bradford, maybe the occassional public amputation for adulterers in Birmingham will really add the social cohesion that Williams imagines. There appears to be a move afoot to institutionalise Sharia law here, with the dreadful Williams now becoming an advocate for this novel form of social cohesion. Maybe the BBC could provide us with insight into just how much “cohesion” Sharia has brought to those wretched countries that have embraced it?

UPDATE: Here’s a chance for Druid Williams to get real insight into the joys of Sharia Law. Let him buy a ticket to Tehran (One way, preferably) to witness the coming stoning to death of two women. Two sisters – identified only as Zohreh and Azar – have been convicted of adultery and have now been sentenced to be stoned to death. Adultery is a crime punishable by death in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with the canons of Islamic Sharia law. The Iranian Supreme Court has upheld the stoning sentence. Zohreh and Azar have already received 99 lashes for “illegal relations.” Yet they were tried again for the same crime, and convicted of adultery on the evidence of videotape that showed them in the presence of other men while their husbands were absent. (Best Druid Williams leaves his wife Jane at home!) The video does not show either of them engaging in any sexual activity at all. Won’t it be fab when we get what the Druid wants – it will certainly create a few vacancies in the Media. Good for social adhesion, and coming to a town near you if Williams and his fellow dhimmis prevail. Any chance of the BBC providing a platform for those of us who oppose a return to dark ages savagery?

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General BBC-related comment thread:

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Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. this is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may be moderated

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WHAT FAILURE?

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Conveying and endlessly repeating the idea that “the west” is failing in Iraq and Afghanistan is central to the anti-war dhimmi leftwing narrative put forward by the BBC. Perhaps this might explain why the BBC leads with the heading “West warned over Afgan failure” before revealing in the very next second sentence that “the west” is in fact not failing! This story revolves around the reluctance of most NATO members to send troops to the southern part of Afghanistan, where the majority of the fighting takes place. The US, the UK and Canada are doing the heavy-lifting here and the likes of the Germans and the French wish to keep their soldiers well out of harms way, thus invalidating the very effectiveness of NATO. The BBC has been enthusiastic in running a series of stories demonstrating that the Taliban are confident, that the winning of the war is questionable and that everything but a military solution must be considered. This all helps shape the general mood of the population, turning it against the idea that the UK is right to be helping lead the fight to the Taliban and assorted Jihadi in this region. In this way it undermines the role of our soldiers out there whilst buoying up the enemy.

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Missing, presumed dead – the line between BBC “reporting” and Labour Party editorial

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I won’t attempt to take issue here with the morality or practicality of Labour AM Christine Chapman’s campaign to abolish prostitution by criminalising the evil customers and ignoring the poor victim-of-society dealers – except to point out a marked contrast with a drugs policy which ignores the poor victim-of-society customers and focuses on the evil dealers. She’s perfectly entitled to her views.

The Guardian’s Nick Davies, a brilliant reporter (although IMHO a lousy analyst of what he reports) has recently published Flat Earth News, in which he suggests that news stories increasingly consist of regurgitated stuff provided by third parties. I think even he’d be gobsmacked by the platform Ms Chapman’s been given – a BBC “news” article which is a straight political piece by the Labour AM.

Only last week a Scottish assembly member, the SNP Justice Minister no less, was given a similar platform to explain how the public would be protected by a tough new policy of not sending criminals to prison. Somehow I missed the “balancing” pieces – which I’m sure the BBC published.

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BREAD AND CIRCUSES.

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I was scrolling through the BBC’s main UK news-site and noticed that it features a story about Amy Winehouse being questioned by police in connection with a video apparently showing her smoking a crack-cocaine pipe. Now I am sure this may be of some interest to the troubled singers’ fan base, but I ask you if this story is MORE important than the debate which is happening in the Commons concerning the ramming through of the European Constitution, sorry, Treaty – something which will effect each and every one of us? If it isn’t, why does the BBC not provide more prominence to the fact that contrary to previous Labour claims, there is NO opt out for the UK from the EU Charter of Fundamental rights? Surely the news story is that the Labour political leadership LIED about something which they failed to even ask for? And if they lied then, well… you can guess the rest! The Romans kept the people diverted with bread and circuses. The BBC seem to follow the same process.

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