Fascinating. A BBC reporter has been detained in Tajikistan for allegedly participating in a banned Islamic group and using his position to promote its extreme ideology. Oh my, what a surprise!
“BBC radio correspondent Urunbay Usmonov, 50, was detained for membership in the illegal movement Hizb ut-Tahrir,” Makhmadullo Asadulloyev, a spokesman for the interior ministry in the former Soviet republic, confirmed on Wednesday. Mr Usmonov “was engaged in extremist propaganda and campaigning for the movement on the internet,” he added. Hizb ut-Tahrir, which promotes a rigorous and puritanical brand of Islam, is legal in the UK but banned in most countries in Central Asia. It seeks to establish a global Caliphate, but rejects the use of violence to achieve this end. The BBC expressed “very great concern” at Mr Usmonov’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.
“The BBC expressed “very great concern” at Mr Usmonov’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.”
I wonder if they expessed as much concern that he was a member of that organisation? I think we all know the answer to that.
Do we know for certain that Usmonov is a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir? His family deny it, as do his employers.
I’d be a little wary of accepting this story at face value, David. Tajikistan is not exactly a model liberal democracy; its track record on human rights, freedom of speech and journalistic freedom is far from flawless.
Usmanov’s family allege that he has been beaten and he appears to have been denied legal representation, while the US Embassy has apparently expressed concern about his arrest and detainment.
He may well be a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir. On the other hand, it may be the Interior Minister instructed Inspector Knackerev of the Tajik police to teach pesky journo Usmonov a lesson.
Either way, you’re being a little too premature.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2011/06/what_does_it_take_to_be_a_jour.html
Maybe Panorama could do a doco on that question?
…and maybe Richard Black could watch and study it? He may learn something.
In a couple of years, BBC-NUJ takes over operation of all BBC World Service, including BBC Arabic TV service (from East Wing, of course, of Broadcasting House, London).
Then BBC-NUJ will have direct political control of an even larger global political broadcasting empire than now.
BBC-NUJ is prepared to close down some domestic services (such as BBC 4, but not BBC radio Asian network) in order to finance many parts of the world, including the Islamic world, to provide local people with services, which British licecepayers will be made to pay for.
We Brits will, e.g., have to pay for the Islamic propaganda of BBC Hausa in Nigeria, and BBC Urdu in Pakistan.
The Tajikistan case is only part of the BBC-NUJ global Islamic propaganda, linked as it is with Al Jazeera. Propaganda which we British people must refuse to pay for.
Close BBC World Service political propaganda broadcasting empire now.
And, of course Beeboid employees in Britain, and British TV and radio audiences will be financially adversely affected, as Patten and Thompson choose to increase funding of BBC World Service’s imperial ambition, at cost of rundown ofUK domestic services: it’s a zero-sum game.