. I was sent this by an eagle-eyed reader which is a BBC report on the funeral of the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, Englishman Fra’ Andrew Bertie. The very first section of this concludes with the incongruous sentence “It is well known for the work it does in many Muslim countries.” Huh?
Let’s leave BBC world for a few seconds and objectively consider what the Knights of Malta actually does.. “The Knights of Malta benefit millions of people around the world, across Europe, to South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, have benefited over the years from the care and assistance offered by the Order. From a maternity hospital in Bethlehem, and specialist neurology hospital in Rome, to palliative care hospices for the terminally ill in England, Belgium and Germany, general hospitals in a score of countries, leprosy hospitals in Senegal and Cambodia, HIV / AIDS centres in Argentina, specialist diabetic centres in a host of countries, centres of the disabled, for the elderly, for children, adolescents, the homeless and drug addicts, each type of specialized institution present in scores of countries across the world, the Order is carrying out its Christian, Hospitaller mission today as vigorously as ever before in its 1000 year history.”
But for some reason, the BBC chooses to focus on a Muslim angle which does not register in any other reports of this organisation. Why it’s almost as if the BBC is on a crusade to attach a Muslim angle to every story it covers!
Good God WoaD. I read “Eurabia has been confirmed by Miliband himself.” and thought I’d get Miliband expressing fears of the Islamisation of Europe or him agreeing to make Osama Bin Laden President for Life.
What do I get? “The EU should consider admitting Turkey and countries from the Middle East and North Africa.” Plus wild speculation.
I at least expected Miliband to use the word “Eurabia” himself. But he didn’t. What you are saying is tantamount to Holocaust denial.
AYA: “You probably are a rabid bigot.”
If that’s addressed at me, I’d be interested to know what evidence you’re relying on.
Mostly the foaming. It was only intended as light-hearted ribbing. Don’t take insults too much to heart when they begin “In your defence…”
Well I was a pupil of Andrew Bertie’s at Worth School long before he became Grand Master and can confirm his knowledge of and interest in Islam. He used to wake us up every morning singing the muezzin’s call to prayer outside our windows!
But the Knights are of course principally a Catholic organisation, and, like many others in this thread, I too am perplexed as to why the BBC should highlight its work in Muslim countries in that article.
“Mostly the foaming” – not terribly compelling evidence is it? I almost yearn for Aussie Bystander to return with his charges of “moral cowardice” against anyone who happened to disagree.
Sorry, in future I will find better ways to judge you than watching you brush your teeth.
You know your dentist is a very lucky man.
Which was such a ludicrously meaningless argument….
Angry Young Alex | Homepage | 10.03.08 – 1:49 pm
No, it’s precisely what you need to cure you of your equivocating and your moral equivalence. Sometimes things are what they seem. They don’t need to be endlessly chewed over and regurgitated and obfuscated and played with.
In fact, very often things are what they seem. Like BBC bias. Now Alex, stop being so clever and open your eyes a little.
“No, it’s precisely what you need to cure you of your equivocating and your moral equivalence. ”
Now what, precisely, is it that I have been morally equivocating?
“In fact, very often things are what they seem. Like BBC bias. Now Alex, stop being so clever and open your eyes a little.”
You won’t win the argument that way. “What they seem” is actually more subjective than what they are. Now let’s see you prove that things are what they seem.
Please do not feed the troll
hmmm… I’ve skipped most of the comments. However, my answer to the Beeb’s muslim angle is that they’re opening an Arabic only television channel today.
A couple of years ago, BBC world service ditched many languages, including my own, Greek.
It explains a lot of things.
Please do not feed the troll
Jack Hughes | 11.03.08 – 8:23 am
Good advice. I’m on the verge of withholding food in this particular case. Trolls pretend to be reasonable and to want to learn, but they aren’t and they don’t. However, they have an advantage in that people are reluctant to let a troll’s argument stand unchallenged since then it seems as if there’s no argument against it.
So I’m assuming you have no proof that things in this case actually are what they seem to you.
Angry Young Alex,
You must be very angry in this short thread you posted 18 times!
And your anger is… not everyone thinks the BBC is the best thing since sliced bread – oh the youthfulness, the fury, the rebellion; Marlon Brando and James Dean need a backseat, a new man is in town.