We tear our hair over the way BBC journalists misrepresent issues we care about, so maybe we should sympathise with poor old Hamza A Tzortzis who complains rather perceptively that decontextualised references aren’t fair.
He has responded to John Ware’s Panorama ‘British Schools, Islamic Rules’ with a press release. (H/T Elder of Ziyon)
“In short, the programme misrepresented established Islamic teachings on a range of issues in a manner that portrayed them as crude and insensitive whilst linking them to social unrest and violence.”
I know how he feels about being misrepresented, but I’m not so sure about the rest. He quotes from a statement by Saqib Sattar , Vice Chair of the Islamic Education and Research Academy.
“The attack on Muslim schools as an institution is both ill-informed and misguided” He praises the academic excellence of these schools, which he attributes to their being rooted in Islamic scholarly tradition, then seamlessly encompasses all faith schools in a sweeping statement which compares them with an easy target – failing secular state schools.
Hamza A Tzortzis also says that Islamic law is like ours, only better. and that before we cut the bits off we really really make sure we’ve got proof. Honest.
Elder notices that their response didn’t actually contradict the Panorama. He reproduces this quote from the iERA press release:
“The attack on mainstream Islamic speakers because they hold established theological views is making the job of community cohesion difficult, as is the constant misconstruing or lack of context with regards to their statements. The programme-makers would have been better served to look deeply into the Islamic scholarly tradition and its historical impact, and they would have found a beautiful model of community cohesion. For example it is a well known historical fact that Islam and Muslims for centuries have been offering protection to the Jewish community.
and Elder concludes:” That “beautiful model of cohesion” is that the despised Jews can be “protected” as long as they meekly accept their inferior status and pay the jizya tax to their Muslim overlords. But that is apparently in no way incompatible with schoolbooks that ask Muslim children to detail all the “reprehensible” characteristics of Jews, which seems to be an established theological view.“
A set of two whole Panoramas have flown in the face of tradition, deviated from the norm, and departed from the default position! Both Jane Corbin’s Mavi Marmara Panorama and John Ware’s ‘British Schools, Islamic Rules’ Panorama strayed from the usual BBC pattern of sanitising Islam and denigrating Israel. Whatever next?
DHIMMI.
That quote above from iERA:
” it is a well known historical fact that Islam and Muslims for centuries have been offering protection to the Jewish community.”
-it is not mentioned, of course, that Islam ‘offered’ persecution to Jews and to Christians.
Under Islamic domination, Jews and Christians are subjugated as ‘DHIMMIS’. (Author Bat Ye’or has written extensively on this; here is a summary of her analysis on ‘DHIMMIS’ under Islamic rule:
– THE DHIMMI – JEWS AND CHRISTIANS UNDER ISLAM
http://www.churchisraelforum.com/the_dhimmi_jews_and_christians_under_islam.htm
I, too, know what it’s like to be misrepresented by the BBC. Every once in a while, though, reality forces them to report it.
I think the BBC should do a follow-up segment somewhere and have an open discussion about the curriculum of these schools in front of a studio audience.
I’m not sure how Christianity deals with contradictions in the holy books but Judaism practically ties itself in knots to reconcile them. Islam has another approach. Later passages in the Koran override earlier ones.
When Mohammed was trying to attract Jews to his cause he was complimentary – even to the point of recognising the Jewish claim to the land of Israel. Sura 5:21 Moses is quoted as telling the Jews to “enter into the Holy Land which Allah has assigned to you”.
Mohammed became far more hostile later in his life when it was clear the Jews had rejected his message. (Rather like Martin Luther, if I dared a comparison).
Inevitably when Muslims want to convince you of their peaceful intentions they quote earlier passages.
BTW whatever happened to the Jews of what is now Saudi Arabia?
‘Whatever next?’
The BBC re-show ‘The Great Climate Change Swindle’ (or was it ‘Scandal’)?
A weekly airing for UKIP?
Or, how about, a concerted attack on the Obamination?
‘
.
.
No, perhaps not!
If I were a little paranoid, I might come up with a different context to view both these programs than the one represented here.
First, the Mavi Marmara. This was broadcast in the week that David Cameron had been in Turkey, talking up EU membership. The program was designed to point to the fact that Turkish involvement in the affair made Cameron’s EU accession talks poor judgement.
Second, The Faith schools program. This week Micheal Gove gave his plans for schools in England, whch was widely expected to give much more independence to faith schools – this program was designed to highlight the idea that Goves refrms could be dangerous by removing local authority control.
In truth, neither program was badly made and viewed with no other contextual backdrop were perfectly good documentaries. But was their timing opportune to make certan points about the current government?
I leave you to draw your own conclusions….
In the same way that the upcoming Panorama on the corruption within FIFA (isn’t corrupt International Institution an oxymoron?) is just co-incidentally showing at the worst time for the success of England’s 2018 bid?
Will:
“isn’t corrupt International Institution an oxymoron?
More like tautology.
Student of the Mohammed Quotient will have noticed that the MQ of this vile gang of rapists is 55%
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-11799797
Protection also for Christians? (BBC’s worldwide news coverage appears to have missed this story – perhaps they will catch up now that some sanity is being brought to bear)
A Christian Pakistani woman sentenced to death for blasphemy is innocent and should be released, Pakistan’s minister for minority affairs told CNN.
Shahbaz Bhatti reached his conclusion after a three-day investigation into allegations that Bibi defiled the name of the Prophet Mohammed during an argument last year with Muslim fellow field workers.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/25/pakistan.christian.case/?hpt=T2
Just like the middle ages & accusations of witchcraft by ignorant peasants, isn’ it?