362 Responses to MONDAY OPEN THREAD…

  1. frk says:

    http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Sep-30/233050-three-edl-workers-arrested-during-protest.ashx#axzz2gPDCIKGx…..tommy did say before he left the edl it was a growing worldwide movement

       3 likes

  2. Alex says:

    The bBC will obviously be delighted over this…

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24722440

       5 likes

    • Ian Rushlow says:

      He who pays the piper calls the tune…? Look forward to the special BBC reports on the superior ethics of Islamic finance.

         8 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        “He who pays the piper calls the tune”
        —-
        Maybe the owners of BBC landlords (Peel Group?) can offer insights, from the heart of Salford Media City.

           4 likes

        • Llareggub says:

          Cameron is either an appeaser or an outright champion of Islam – a Quisling. I believe he is the latter, although it is puzzling why the BBC are not constantly praising his efforts. Maybe Labour is even more into Islam.

             8 likes

          • Dave s says:

            I doubt he is either. More like a man without real convictions and a man on the make.

               7 likes

            • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

              Spiv then, as per Bliar.
              On the make, yes, currently convinced him and his ilk hold the moral high ground over the ignorant oiks who inhabit our country.
              Someone who holds firm beliefs in the peaceful nature of the ROP. Deluded at the moment, but one day the truth will dawn upon him, at which point he will go into denial.

                 8 likes

    • Geoff says:

      We’re being forced to accept Islam by slealth and all our institutions are in compliance.

      Note how the Telegraph comments have been closed to comment on the above story because the narritive of the comments didn’t follow the agenda.

         15 likes

  3. Thoughtful says:

    I see the BBC is still referring to Edward Snowdon as a ‘whistle Blower’ and not a spy which of course he is. They seem to take a delight that this man has compromised the security of the Western allies, which I put down to their latent self loathing.
    We can only hope that one day the BBC is the target of one of the bombers missed because of the revelations of Snowden. Then of course they will blame the authorities for not detecting the plot!

       12 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      I’m not sure I’d want to hope the BBC is the target of bombers, regardless of any poetic justice involved. The BBC being the target of a similar spy would do me for the moment.

         9 likes

      • Mat says:

        Yep with Roland on this a bomb attack on them would just make them even worse, more special pleading more appeasement ! but a release of all that F.O.I. exempt papers would really hurt them !

           7 likes

  4. AsISeeIt says:

    An interesting sidelight on BBC bias here

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100242793/the-almost-unbelievable-pomposity-of-bbc-favourite-jonathan-portes/

    ‘None of this would matter if Mr Portes were not regularly trotted out, especially by the BBC, as representing some sort of neutral position. I’ve remarked before on how the most effective bias often comes in how studio guests are introduced: “Joining us now are Mr Blue, a Right-wing controversialist, and Mr Red, a distinguished academic…”‘

       20 likes

  5. AsISeeIt says:

    I think bias that bias in the form of casual Leftism from BBC presenters is a much worse transgression than poor English.

    I does annoy me however when Beeboids show disrespect for the audience.

    Newsnight had a contributer telling Paxman that Lou Reed objected to ‘bullshit’. Paxo clearly felt no obligation to parden this lapse. Well, it was late. We were talking about rock and roll and art and rebellion. And anyway no one was wathcing.

    This morning at 8.50am we have Rachel Burden asking whether a football manager is right to feel ‘peed off’

    Call me a fuddyduddy but this is disrectful to the audience – oh wait – could it be that our Rachel sees herself as a kind of latter day rock and roll rebellion artist working out of the Salford Factory?

       15 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      I have long since given up being surprised by the number of fart jokes noted on CBBC as my kids have grown up. One does feel somewhat fuddy-duddyish in reflecting that Val, John and Peter would never have resorted to that in my time.

      Fortunately, CBBC is very low down the pecking order now, although whether iCarly or Marvin Marvin represent an improvement, I wouldn’t like to say.

         7 likes

      • Cosmo says:

        The baby elephant did worse than brake wind.

           6 likes

        • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

          My car has brakes, and the elephant didn’t break wind, it shit all over the floor.
          Apologies to Cosmo, just couldn’t resist that.

             6 likes

      • Eddie Smith says:

        Kids’ TV these days seems to be nothing more than an exercise in how to ridicule adults. Take a look at any children’s TV programme in which adults feature alongside kids and note how the adults are either shown to be complete buffoons or the kids’ best friends.
        There is no such thing as an authoritative figure in children’s TV viewing lives these days, unlike the shows I used to watch when I was young in which adults were always in charge and never mocked.
        Perhaps there’s a connection there between how much respect younger people have for the older generation and how TV portrays the older generation as fools?

           11 likes

    • Milverton says:

      I heard both of those incidents and was pretty surprised by this morning’s lapse by Burden.

      I put it down to her not being as bright as she thinks she is, rather than a deliberate effort to shock. I’m sure eyebrows were raised in the studio too.

      Rufus Wainwright’s “bullshit” on Newsnight (for it was she) wasn’t as offensive as it was gone eleven. I was a bit surprised how he – a “close personal” of Reed as Julian & Sandy might have put it – struggled with the answer to the not very penetrating question “What is your favourite Lou Reed song?” “Errr… Oh, what’s it called? It starts with the line… Ummmm….”

         8 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      The Chief Droid should take Rachel Boredom and Nikki Campbell, stick them on the minimum wage, shift them to 5Dead’s 3am to 5am slot to front a ‘show’ called ‘Idle Banter’ where they could idly banter to their hearts content and corpse at eachother’s jokes to even less listeners than they have now.

         9 likes

  6. Doublethinker says:

    Could the BBC explain to me why there might such prejudice? Surely, it is only to be expected that people don’t want to have tenants or employees, who are more likely than native Brits to be paedophiles, terrorists, owners of slaves, unemployed etc etc. It would be odd if there weren’t prejudice given what has happened in the UK in the past 20 years. Of course the BBC want to stop us knowing anything about these problems and manage the news accordingly. If they can’t cover it up they seek to explain to us that actually its our fault!

       14 likes

  7. noggin says:

    BBC last night – When Tommy met Mo
    Biased Broad Cresent in full effect, a fair degree of “Kitman” by al bbc on that show last night
    !
    Did anyone note that on the section about Paedostani
    Muslim child rape gangs, and the Islamic imperative for doing it?.
    The enormous burkha d “elephant in the room” was missing?
    Where was Mohamhead? … he who himself raped children, even married one at 6, and just like all
    “nonce s” swore he didn t do anything for 3 years?

    Not in the conversation at all? … surely that can t be so?
    this “excellent example of conduct” for all Muslims?
    I note that Shafiq was immediately trying to distance
    Islam from it all? …
    and no one bought this glaring example up?

    editing bbc?

       11 likes

    • chrisH says:

      Only an arrogant wazzock like Ansar would go to Keighley or wherever to face down white people with personal testimony and experience of what “Pakistani Muslim Men” were doing to kids and to families locally.
      He had no answers apart from the fact that Saviles fellow travellers do it too.
      As if none of us couldn` guess and didn`t know.
      It took Tommy to give them their scriptures…they didn`t seem either to know or care about the Koran, seeing as only he actually was quoting from it. Guess that`s what they`d called the social gospel or blind faith in action.
      The oilier Muslim seemed put out having to quibble about whether the dmimmi girls and women were to be enslaved…or made into sex slaves for the conquering Muslim. How many djinn can dance on the point of a gleaming sword-type debate eh?
      Probably the only bit of exegesis that he has ever had to do-and with white kuffar as well…ritual cleansing needed after THAT one!
      Ansar and Mr Oil are very much the BBCs idea of Islamists they can “do business with”…an other Muslim did say that he`d had death threats from his Muslim brothers-but we were not to hear any details about why so.
      Typical BBC crap and lies…only hope Tommy knew from the start that would be all he`d receive, in return for risking his neck on behalf of so many of the rest of us.

         17 likes

      • noggin says:

        AND … why did Campbell insist on keep namedropping “islamofauxbia”
        as if its something real?
        It is an insidious falsity, a non word, a false construct, a lie deliberately intended to deceive?
        (shakes head) the bloody bbc eh!

        Salman Rushdie and his fellow writers said about its use :-
        “After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new global totalitarian threat: Islamism….
        We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of ‘Islamophobia,’ a wretched concept that confuses criticism of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who believe in it.
        We defend the universality of the freedom of expression, so that a critical spirit can exist in every continent, towards each and every maltreatment and dogma.”

           19 likes

    • George R says:

      Yes, the political editing on behalf of Islamic interests: a tour de force.

         8 likes

  8. Geoff says:

    The half hour of BBC1 I watched last night from 7.30 I found it hard to believe I was in Britain, even less feel British.

    That half hour consisted of a local program telling me that Muslims should receive special treatment when applying for jobs or housing. Followed by a national news update presented by an Asian and then a local news update, and yes you’ve guessed it – presented by a Asian.

    Hand wringing libtards may call me a racist, maybe I am, but only involuntarily.

       34 likes

    • +james says:

      You should see BBC London News, or as I like to call it BBC Asian Network.

         19 likes

    • George R says:

      Yes, INBBC has long pursued an explicit policy of preferential treatment on behalf of Islam; and this policy doesn’t only apply to INBBC reporting, but INBBC applies this principle to the way Muslims should be treated throughout the whole of British society.

         12 likes

    • David Brims says:

      Perfectly normal and natural, human nature is tribal, we like to be around people that look like us and sound like us, birds of a feather flock together, if we all lived in our OWN countries as God or natural law intended there would be no ”waaycism.”

      Import millions of Third Worlders, a stone age culture, civilisation, displacing the indigenous inhabitants of their houses, jobs, neighbourhoods, towns and cities, it’s going to breed resentment.

      Do you think a white anglo saxon protestant is reading the news or weather on Pakistani television ? They wouldn’t stand for it.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN91F7ek6Bw

         21 likes

      • Dave s says:

        I was in Slough on Sunday. I had to wait in the centre of town. I knew it well as a young man.
        It looked very different. Not just the buildings for that is true of many places but the people. An English face was a rarity.
        You may well think this to be an improvement over what the liberal elite term a boring homogenous mass of indigenous people.
        But in reality it is a completely untried piece of social engineering that has no precedent in our history and little precedent anywhere else. Moreover carried out without any popular mandate
        Some questions come to mind. The questions the elite and the liberal media dare not ask.
        1. What has happened to the English and why have they gone?
        2. What happens when Slough is no longer a town with English people but something else? If you change the people you change the culture. The centuries old way of life then goes to be replaced by something else.
        Then slowly the country changes and in ways we cannot forsee.
        An optimist is happy to see this but those who know history and human nature are much more wary.
        The liberal, lacking any senses other than those that indulge his emotions cannot see beyond these emotions. Empathy is all. Reality is denied.

           16 likes

  9. George R says:

    “So unbelievable: Graham Norton hits out at ‘sacks of cash’ BBC pay-offs”

    http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/so-unbelievable-graham-norton-hits-out-at-sacks-of-cash-bbc-payoffs-8910514.html

       8 likes

  10. Alan Larocka says:


    Unbelievable. More sense in 3 minutes from a Russian head of state than the entire Western Leadership.

       8 likes

    • Mat says:

      Interesting I can see why he runs ring around the U.S lame duck president !

         4 likes

    • +james says:

      Alan great post. That is the most important video I have seen for along time. Here it is again.

         7 likes

      • +james says:

        Update, the Beeb reported the speech. Web only though

        Best bit.

        He even returned to the subject to make a joke of what he perceived as Western Europe’s distorted attitude to gender issues. Recalling his friendship with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, he noted that Mr Berlusconi was now on trial for living with women.

        “But if he’d been living with men, as a homosexual, no-one would have dared lay a finger on him,” Mr Putin said.

        The Russians in the auditorium erupted into roars of laughter. On the panel next to a grinning Mr Putin, his European guests looked bemused and uncomfortable.

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24170137

           6 likes

  11. Doyle says:

    I thought this was an unusual headline:
    M1 slip road death crash driver: Police name Saqab Zabir http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-24709382
    Why name him in the headline? Can you imagine ‘police name Joe Bloggs’?
    In contrast the Yorkshire Evening Post says:
    UPDATED: Leeds man who died after driving wrong way on M1 to escape cops named.
    Note that in the Yorkshire Post headline he is ‘escaping cops’ while on the BBC he is a ‘death crash driver’.
    Is the BBC trying to portray the driver as a victim here?

       16 likes

  12. Eddie Smith says:

    My local BBC Radio Nottingham are unashamedly biased. They’re either not concerned or they’re just so stupid that they fail to realise just how their biased views leak out onto their scripts. Or perhaps they regard their listeners as being so stupid they won’t get it!
    As an example, last year BBC Radio Nottingham announced on their hourly news bulletin that “private sector company Serco” were struggling with the recruitment process to fill the jobs available at the London Olympics.
    Private sector company…???
    I thought ALL companies were private sector. Nevertheless, there is surely no need to point out so clearly that Serco is a private sector company. Surely that is superfluous.
    Obviously, the BBC yet again playing politics with the way they deliver the news. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

       15 likes

  13. Mark II says:

    I caught the end of Citizen Khan last night.
    Shockingly racist and unfunny to boot.
    If the central character had been an Indian Hindu or white the BBC would never have considered showing it.
    The studio audience seemed to find it hilarious – so perhaps I am the one out of step.

       12 likes

    • Geoff says:

      All recent BBC comedies have been completely unfunny, yet all receive rapturous applause from the studio audience.

      Most likely because that audience will consist of Beeboids, and the families and friends of Beeboids.

      The BBC hasn’t produced a decent comedy for over a decade, even the most recent ‘hit’ Mrs Browns Boys included an ‘agenda’ story line with gay marriage.

      Currently recording Allo Allo at lunchtimes (to watch in the evening) not the best comedy yet funny, could one ever envisage such a comedy being made today? But I believe that even this is being edited and episodes going missing no doubt to suit the PC brigade.

         13 likes

      • Mark II says:

        Yes – all those Nazi uniforms must present them with a problem!

           8 likes

      • Roland Deschain says:

        You’d be doing well to be able to record It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum which I’m not aware is ever shown these days. I’m not sure if the official reason is racism (my recollection is that it wasn’t the Indians who were the butt of most jokes, and Michael Bates’s casting as an Indian was a reflection of the lack of Indian actors at the time) or homophobia due to the frequent references to “poofs” by Sgt Major Williams. Interesting if “poofs” cannot be used at any time but “f*ck” is perfectly OK after 9:00pm.

        Perhaps there’s no official reason, just cowardice. But it was damn funny.

           13 likes

        • Geoff says:

          And the irony was that Michael Bates was actually born in India, yet it was OK and funny for the cast of Goodness Gracious Me to mimic the indigenous.

          Programs never being shown again pisses me off, there is a whole library of stuff that we, the licence payer own, yet the BBC play the role of nanny in what is/isn’t appropriate for us to see, any sane individual will view them in the context of the time they were made.

          Only Fools And Horses has sometimes been edited beyond meaning, the original broadcasts will probably never be seen again even on DVD releases.

             11 likes

  14. ember2013 says:

    BBC News has been showing a piece on the devastation caused by Hurrican Sandy, on Statton Island, and how some people have yet to get their lives back.

    Clearly they were hoping to show video of flooded Brits after Jude appeared but they had to resort to discussing year-old events.

       6 likes

  15. Thoughtful says:

    Interesting phone in on You & Yours where the lying politicians are being roundly condemned for all the levies on fuel bills.
    I’d forgotten about the levy to pay for the smart meters. If you look into this legacy of BLiar, there is quite a story of how he wanted meters which would spy on every household, knowing when they switched appliances on & off, enabling remote disconnection, and area disconnection to prevent rolling blackouts. It seems that BLiars government actually planned for power outages as a policy.

       9 likes

    • Number 7 says:

      This was reported in the dastardly “Right Wing” press at the time.

      I can’t recall hearing about it from Planet Beeb but I’m sure one of our resident trolls is now searching for the appropriate reference to correct me.

         9 likes

    • Eddie Smith says:

      Of course, all these price hikes and green taxes are achieving their goal of forcing us to use less energy and therefore becoming more environmentally friendly.
      What really riles me is the cross-party pretence that they care about those struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills by coming up with ‘solutions’ such as a windfall tax (John Major) and price capping (Miliband). Both those suggestions would actually RAISE prices.
      And then Cameron comes up with the only sensible option; lower or suspend upcoming green taxes.
      Not exactly rocket science, is it? And it will also be economically beneficial.

         5 likes

  16. #88 says:

    Where’s the man from Guinness Book of Records when you need him?

    4.49 seconds! That’s all it took Gameshow’s first caller this morning to rubbish ‘Fatcher’.

    Actually I do, ‘Steph from Devon’, a disservice, she actually said ‘Thatcher’ in an articulate and seemingly choreographed whine at divide and rule and our ‘fractured society’, a whine that not only had our Nicky purring in agreement, but had him building on and her comments.

    Strange that Gameshow kicked his programme off by going straight to this caller…he usually asks his invited guests to set the thing up (?) then takes calls. But then again he probably knew what was coming (and ‘Steph’ who seems to live in some sort of parallel utopia, probably needed to get back to work (at the BBC?))

       18 likes

    • Geoff says:

      The BBC are highly organised with their ‘troll’s’ so it wouldn’t be beyond possibility that said callers are Beeboids.

      One site actually traced a pro BBC troll to a Capita call center via his IP address.

         18 likes

    • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

      Maybe one of the other albeeba trolls will get her to come here and deny all this?

         6 likes

  17. Bert. says:

    Guess who said this game;

    “We have no conclusive proof of who committed 9/11, why the towers were ‘pulled’, why airplanes were modified, why steel melted at 800 degrees not 2,300 or the relevance of ‘Operation Northwoods’. The pleas of the families for an inquiry are denied and the evidence has in the majority, been completely destroyed. However, any straw poll will almost entirely state it was the Moozlims.”

    We need not list Israeli atrocities other than to say that according to the Book of Moses, the Jews are utterly prohibited from oppressing another people, having been oppressed themselves. They are meant to wander without a land. They are in the main European, Ashkenazim, Khazar, non-Sephardic and non-Semitic Jews.

    Hint: BBC’s Nicky Campbell’s “moderate muslim” pal.

    Hey Nicky ask him about 9/11 and the Jews?

       14 likes

  18. Guest Who says:

    Cripes. It seems this notion of bias is true… but in fact the wrong way round. So as Shapps and IDS bring you one version via the DM/Telegraph, in classic Mutually Assured Dross the Graun brings a counter… ‘balance’, to order:
    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/28/bbc-coverage-favouring-climate-change-sceptics?
    Not sure it starts off too well on the professional front though…
    ‘”At a time when poor editorial decisions have dented trust in the BBC, the organisation should be taking much greater care over the accuracy of its reporting – especially in the area of science where misreporting can cause disastrous results, as the MMR media scare has shown.”
    So…. on top of being incompetent, he’s calling for the BBC to be even more bent? OK. That’s a keeper at £145.50pa right there.
    ‘”Given that the BBC’s avowed mission is still to inform and educate, as well as entertain, it is remarkable that it allows presenters, like Andrew Neil, to repeat misinformed scientific arguments on climate change as though they were fact.”
    Darn lucky then that Helen and her bevvy of briefs blew so much money bringing 28gate to much greater public notice then.
    ‘David Jordan, responded in a letter seen by the Guardian’
    A bit like the BBC ‘has learned’ stuff, like a couple of giggly pre-pubescent schoolgirls sneaking notes on who they fancy across the desk. They probably wrote it together.
    It would be funny if not so serious.

       6 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      Blimey. If they’re reduced to claiming that the BBC is biased in favour of climate sceptics in order to play the “we get complaints from both sides, so all is tickety-boo” card, we may be nearer a breakthrough than we thought.

         8 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Actually for claims, the whole piece is a treat.
        I suggested the BBC & Graun composed it together over a 4pm latte at an approved staff (owned) coffee shop, but this is not fair.
        If the Graun had any hand in the writing, there may have been a glimmer of skill, but this one reads like one of the BBC’s gazillion mid-level PR managers cranked out a template job and told them to just cut and paste it as their ‘report’.
        It is that blatantly dire. Even doris wouldn’t buy it.
        This makes Operation Clark County look like something Newsnight would run down the slipway, again. Oh.

           2 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Oh heck, it’s tea time, let’s cut & paste a few more gems, for fun…
        ‘…under fire from the chairman of an influential committee of MPs…’
        … according to documents seen by the Guardian…
        …too much credence to climate sceptics, who represent a tiny but vocal minority of scientific opinion…
        … the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found…
        …climate change sceptics – who take an opposing view – despite their tiny numbers…
        …Andrew Neil, cited supposed scientific findings that he said called global warming into question…
        …Neil was accused by scientists afterwards…
        …allowing Neil to air these views as if they were authoritative fact was misleading viewers…
        …an impartial interviewer must put forward a range of arguments, perhaps even act as a kind of devil’s advocate…
        …part of the BBC’s function of holding government to account….
        … interviews should be conducted on the basis of reasoned argument….
        …will be given the opportunity to rebut them on the BBC… [FOI lawyers permitting, natch]…
        …the BBC was still wedded to an idea of “false balance” in presenting climate sceptics alongside reputable scientists….
        …This goes to the heart of science reporting…
        …It’s just as absurd to have a climate sceptic for balance against the work of the overwhelming majority of climate scientists…
        …the appointment of a science editor for the whole of the corporation’s output….’

        These might warrant a fisk, as a few questions do spring to mind that escaped our fearless Graunette to clarify. Of course, they may not get answered as the BBC doesn’t usually feel it should be in such a position. And has the lawyers to ensure it.
        But for now, Fiona, as a copy typist we salute you. And Loopy Lou from the Telegraph has now got serious ‘sciencey-stuff’ ‘reporting’ competition.

           5 likes

  19. George R says:

    Islamisation of U.K by:
    (1.) mass immigration from Islamic countries;

    and NOW by ( 2.) ISLAMIC BONDS (‘Sukuk’).

    BBC-NUJ criticises Tories and Cameron for many things, but not this:-

    “Cameron to unveil Islamic bond plan”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24722440

    An alternative critique of Islamic bonds:-
    ‘Jihad Watch’:-
    “David Cameron: ‘I want London to stand alongside Dubai as one of the great capitals of Islamic finance anywhere in the world'”

    [Opening excerpt]:-

    “Britain’s eager and active engagement with Sharia finance will make it ever more difficult for it to resist imposition of other aspects of Sharia.”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/10/david-cameron-i-want-london-to-stand-alongside-dubai-as-one-of-the-great-capitals-of-islamic-finance.html

    Also:-
    “The Piety Premium of Islamic Bonds”

    by Theodore Reuben Ellis,
    ‘Middle East Quarterly,’
    2012.

    [Opening excerpt]:-

    “Traditionally, the Islamic states have had to reach out to Western capital markets to obtain funding for major projects. Islam’s prohibition on the collection of interest (riba) made it difficult to find buyers within the Muslim world for debt securities issued by sovereign nations, even predominately Muslim ones. In recent years, however, the invention of a financial instrument widely called sukuk—a kind of bond structured so as to be acceptable under Islam—has enabled governments of Islamic nations to tap into an entirely new capital market. Muslim investors, buoyed by the rise in the price of oil, have devoured the new sovereign issues of sukuk, developed and marketed by the governments of Muslim-majority nations.”

    http://www.meforum.org/3216/islamic-bonds

       5 likes

    • George R says:

      For INBBC:-

      ” A Guide to Sukuk”

      [Excerpt]-

      “For the past 2 years or so, we have noted that Islamic bonds, properly known as ‘sukuk,’ have become the financial weapon of choice for Islamic imperialism.

      “Here is how that works:

      • As we know from historical records and contemporary statements from Islamic leaders, the purpose of Shariah Finance/Islamic economics is to promote Shariah itself.

      • Islamic imperialists are now using the credit markets to force Shariah-compliance worldwide, not just among and between Muslims.”

      http://www.shariahfinancewatch.org/blog/2013/04/30/a-guide-to-sukuk/

         3 likes

    • George R says:

      Supplementary, from above article, for Robert Peston:-

      “One additional potential risk of the current system for judging sukuk compliance with Shari’a is that religious regulatory bodies could use their power for political ends—perhaps by implicitly threatening to declare noncompliance on the bonds of sovereign nations that support unpopular geopolitical positions. Another area of broad uncertainty is whether religious authorities will declare Islamic banking activities (presumable including sukuk) subject to zakat, a kind of tax Islamic governments have historically imposed on wealthy Muslims to fund charitable activities.”

         1 likes

  20. Sir Arthur Strebe-Grebling says:

    Yet another bBBC ‘Labour says …’ ‘news’ item.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24723404
    The first line is: A six-figure payout to the ex-head of Haringey children’s services “leaves a bad taste in the mouth,” shadow chancellor Ed Balls has said.
    But Balls is just trying to cover up his own mistake in removing Shoesmith from office, determined by the Court of Appeal to be “intrinsically unfair and unlawful”. Balls should follow the law, not keep whingeing about his own failure. That, plus the bBBC support for his position, is what really leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

       15 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘Yet another bBBC ‘Labour says …’ ‘news’ item.’
      ‘Course, there are occasions with the BBC when Labour doesn’t get mentioned.
      http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/steerpike/2013/10/didnt-the-bbc-know-that-will-straw-is-a-ppc-before-his-dad-told-them/
      For some odd reason (FoI-exempted).
      But nine-bob bent levels of integrity explain, if not excuse, most.

         6 likes

      • Sir Arthur Strebe-Grebling says:

        I was just going to post that: the bBBC giving a free platform to a Labour parliamentary candidate and asking him “would you like to agree with the Labour Party policy”?
        Bias: it’s in their DNA.

           7 likes

        • #88 says:

          That’s evidence of the use of the Guardian’s criteria for an impartial interview (see Guess Who, above).

          In particular, ‘…an impartial interviewer must put forward a range of arguments, perhaps even act as a kind of devil’s advocate…’

          Such penetrating questions these Beeboids ask.

          What the Guardian / BBC didn’t say is that those criteria only apply to interviews with Tories.

             4 likes

  21. AsISeeIt says:

    Richard Bacon on BBC radio currently campaigning hard on behalf of Labour.

    Bashing the Energy companies… no one standing up for pensioners…. sound familiar?

    Bacon: ‘Do you think Ed Miliband has led on this issue!?’

    Ray Mitchell as caller from ‘mid Wales’ tells us of his energy price woes. A sorry tale of high prices and Coalition policy of switching supplier is just not working for our Ray.

    What should happen Ray?

    Well, prices should be frozen because the market isn’t working.

    Sound familiar?

    I thought it sounded so obviously on-message Labour-wise that I googled Ray.

    Fairly common name.

    But what’s this….??

    http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=1336

    See submission number EP 58

    Can’t be Richard Bacon’s mate Ray Mitchell pensioner from mid Wales can it? No surely not. Not this windmill hating nimby

    ‘Environment and Sustainability Committee
    Inquiry into Energy Policy and Planning in Wales
    EPP 58 – Ray Mitchell
    Dear Members
    I would like to express my strong objection to the proliferati
    on of wind turbines and
    proposed pylons in mid Wales.
    Having been a frequent holidaymaker to the region for ma
    ny years we decided to retire
    here in 2004 to enjoy the same beautiful scenery of Mo
    ntgomeryshire on a permanent basis
    as that we had enjoyed as tourists. However I believe
    if the proposed plans for hundreds
    more of wind turbines and pylons will blight the lan
    dscape which will not only spoil it for
    existing residents but will severely impact on the tourist in
    dustry in the region. The financial
    implications for the area are huge.
    For heavens sake let us look at alternatives such as tidal e
    nergy or if we must have inefficient
    turbines let us have them off shore where they have less visua
    l impact!
    There will also be considerable impact on the traffic fl
    ow on the towns and roads of the
    region with up to 200 tonne loads being delivered to th
    e sites. Who wants to come to Mid
    Wales to be stuck in a traffic jam!!
    WE DO NOT NEED OR WANT THIS.
    regards
    Ray Mitchell

       10 likes

    • #88 says:

      Master of the leading question, Bacon. I liked the one where Rasher asked, ‘What do you think of the energy companies, Ray?’

      Errrrr……Let me think!

      I noticed that Bacon was also trying to shut his Business Correspondent up when it seemed he was straying ‘off message’.

         10 likes

  22. Rantmandeux says:

    just listened to IQ Squared debate. Sad bastard I know! the sun is shining. The motion debated was “Karl Marks was Right”. U tube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUaVeixiVLc
    What struck me was the vote at the end. The motion was defeated by a large majority, whilst before the debate, the vote was very close with a large number of undicided.
    Now I have not always been convinced about the BBC rigging QT audiences. Not sure I am now, but show how there is a vast difference between the people who attend QT and those at an IQS debate. This may be the result of some sort of self – selection? By the by the debate was worth listening to, whilst I tidied home office in acticipation of the boss returnign from her trip abroad.

       3 likes

  23. Guest Who says:

    OT, but as we’re at 300+ on a Tuesday I figure this thread is toast soon, I’d post anyway…
    http://www.trendingcentral.com/feminist-trolls-ruining-social-media/
    Given what some may feel is a pervading malaise across the blogosphere, a few problems shared may halve others.
    At least he gets paid.

       3 likes

  24. Guest Who says:

    http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/10/kuenssberg-pym-davis-kennedy-islam-perry-who-will-be-the-bbcs-next-business-editor/
    ‘The strong rumour is that the appointment must go to a female candidate’
    Knowledge of business clearly an option. Only fair, if one looks at Middle East, Science, Economics, etc.

    UPDATE: His man in the BBC wellbeing facilitation pod just texted:

    ‘The current trend in News is to pick people from the print world, as it has worked out so well with Ian Katz from the Guardian. Sunny Hundal is free. And Mehdi will work for anyone. I mean… anyone. And he has all the right qualifications. Bar business. Like that matters‘

       6 likes

    • #88 says:

      I think that Polly Toynbee’s protégé, Johann Hari must be in with a shout. He clearly has a nose for business following his interviews, last week, with Henry Ford and Steve Jobs.

         12 likes

  25. Guest Who says:

    http://order-order.com/2013/10/29/sketch-energy-committee-lacking-energy-power-illumination/
    You know I sometimes suggest there’s a predictable trend in the market rate upper corridors of the public sector….
    ‘…energy bosses realised they could say anything they liked.

    Transparency. Trust. Fairness.’
    Seems like they watched the PAC inquiry. And learned from the masters.
    Next up… Hope! Change (well, not much from £300kpa each)!
    ‘The rogue element among the power bosses was one Stephen Fitzpatrick from upstart Ovo Energy’
    Isn’t that Ed’s new supplier… of BBC-quoted zingers soon, it sounds.

       1 likes

  26. George R says:

    IMRAN KHAN: another INBBC Islamic political chum:-

    “‘MODERATE’ MUSLIM LEADER IMRAN KHAN JUSTIFIES CONTACT WITH ALLEGED 26/11 MUMBAI MASS MURDERER MASTERMIND HAFIZ SAEED”

    http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/10/moderate-muslim-leader-imran-khan-justifies-contact-with-alleged-2611-mumbai-mass-murderer-mastermin.html

       3 likes

  27. Guest Who says:

    It has been noted on these pages that the BBC does not ‘do’ irony.
    That’s one that can be added to a long list, including good taste, decency, sensitivity, logic and a few hundred others that seem to pass by the world’s most outraged broadcaster (unless it does it itself).
    Their latest FaceBook outing:
    BBC World News
    A video from Malaysia has shown the fatal shooting of a bank worker during a robbery.

    Despite calls from the victim’s family to refrain from sharing it, the footage has gone viral on social media.

    What questions does this raise about self-censorship and the role of governments to intervene?

    #BBCtrending is a new programme which investigates and analyses social media.
    All well and desperate to fill space with content for ratings.
    But speaking of questions being raised, as near every commenter has so far posted, what on earth did they imagine they were doing posting the f***ing thing to view (I did not watch as snuff porn is not my bag, so as a caveat can only go on the word others who did. Apols too for the extreme language, but I am vexed more than usual here) too?
    Is this going to be another ‘got it about BBC’d’?

       3 likes

  28. Dazed & Confused says:

    Can anyone imagine that the BBC would have anyone remotely connected with the BNP the EDL or UKIP on “Bargain hunt”?…….Yet the SWP are apparently “A”, O.K……

    No doubt the SWP comrade will find herself working in a BBC newsroom very quickly indeed…

       10 likes

    • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

      How can i create a lonk to that in a tweet.
      Says gendarme crabtree off allo allo.

         0 likes

  29. Chris says:

    Any one notice this was prominent on the BBC site today? –
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24653643
    All very good, but wasn’t this news in 1996? in America? Whats the BBC’s angle? …”Keshia’s choice was hope”
    o right, there it is, plugging hope as a policy as per multiculturalism and the Obama administration.
    You don’t need thought out policies with facts and proof to back them up, no; you just need hope.

       4 likes

  30. George R says:

    INDIA: INBBC not reporting Islamic jihad.

    1.) ‘Jihad Watch’:-

    “India: Murderous blasts at Hindu politician’s rally ‘the work of the Indian Mujahideen'”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/10/india-murderous-blasts-at-hindu-politicians-rally-the-work-of-the-indian-mujahideen.html

    2.) INBBC:-
    “India detentions over Patna blasts”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24700086

       3 likes

  31. George R says:

    Waiting for INBBC editing and report on this:-

    “Islamic attack: 128 dead in Nigeria state capital”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/10/islamic-attack-128-dead-in-nigeria-state-capital.html#more

       3 likes

  32. Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

    Autumn watch!
    Badgers
    Any mention of badger predation on hedgehogs?
    Nah…..nothing!

       5 likes

    • Buggy says:

      Badgers, like foxes, live entirely on berries, seeds, nut cutlets and Fairtrade hummus.

      The decline in hedgehog numbers is entirely traceable to global warming. And Fatcher.

         11 likes

  33. David Kay says:

    cant blame the badgers, hedgehog taste mighty fine

    hedgehog-flavoured-crisps.jpg

       4 likes

    • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

      Priceless

         4 likes

    • Buggy says:

      Always disappointed that they didn’t sell those as “Pikey’s Choice”. 😉

         7 likes

    • David Kay says:

      i did enjoy Autumn watch though, and will watch every night. The last thing i enjoyed watching on al beeb was about 2 months ago they had a 3 part programme on tigers in india. And before that spring watch.

      The BBC should be pay per view though because apart from the occasional good programming as listed above, its full of shite

         9 likes

  34. George R says:

    Two different political emphases on NHS tourism:-

    1.) ‘Daily Mail’:-

    “Leading GP attacks ‘xenophobic’ curb on health tourism after it is revealed that foreigners cost the NHS £2billion per year”

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2472512/Leading-GP-attacks-xenophobic-curb-health-tourism.html

    2.) BBC-NUJ:-

    “Immigrants need free life-saving A&E care, MPs told”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24728085

    We have to pay for the BBC-NUJ propaganda, and NHS tourism.

    Note BBC-NUJ’s propaganda for NHS tourism:-

       9 likes

  35. Pounce says:

    This people is an example of the Islamic mindset of the largest recipient of British Aid:
    Girl, 13, digs herself out of a shallow grave after she is raped and buried alive by two men in Pakistan
    A teenage girl dug herself out of shallow grave after she was raped by two men and buried alive.The 13-year-old was snatched while walking to Koran lessons from her local village in Punjab and raped by the men in an isolated area. Her attackers then buried her alive when they thought that she had died during the assault. But she regained consciousness and managed to dig her way out of the muddy grave and flag down a passerby. She was taken to a medical centre and survived her horrific ordeal.</i.

    Nothing from the bBC about this incident , gee i wonder why?

       7 likes

  36. Thoughtful says:

    Oh the joy at OVO energy bosses statement at the parliamentary inquiry, and now the ‘Today’ program has seized on it, but failed (deliberately?) to ask the relevant questions.

    Why isn’t OVO the cheapest energy provider if you’re telling the truth?

    So they drag in some eco warrior from a Green energy supplier who claims that he can save customers £100 on their bill because his energy is generated from sustainable sources. Humphries failed to mention that the feed in tariff pays four times as much as conventional generation !

    Selective questioning in order to deceive and to paint a picture, or a naïve interviewer who doesn’t know his subject?

       6 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘Humphries failed to mention that the feed in tariff pays four times as much as conventional generation !’
      ——
      Seems editorial by omission is strong with the Farce today. Or is that the Today Farce?
      Always interested when the BBC gets high horsey on price rates and impositions in a competitive environment, given they, uniquely, don’t need to bother with market forces or customer choice.
      —-

      Selective questioning in order to deceive and to paint a picture, or a naïve interviewer who doesn’t know his subject?’
      —–
      A good question, though the BBC can FOIst that line off on some licence fee-funded lawyers to suppress.
      Not sure what market BBC’s interviewing ‘talent’ is rated with, but it’s hard to see blatant tribalism or plain incompetence being cv boosters anywhere other than the BBC.

         2 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      We now learn from the boss of Eon that the smaller companies like OVO are exempt from some of the ‘green levies’ (stealth taxes) so their prices should be massively cheaper than the bigger companies. The question is why aren’t they?

         2 likes

      • Roland Deschain says:

        The Eon boss didn’t seem to deny that OVO are cheaper when interviewed on Today. So I assume they must be. But how come John Humphrys seemed entirely unaware of this unlevel playing field and why have OVO’s cheaper prices not received more publicity before now?

        Something we’re not being told, methinks.

           2 likes

        • Thoughtful says:

          OVO cheapest tariff:

          Electricity 12.13p per KWh
          23.02p standing charge per day

          Gas 3.89p per KWh
          23.02p standing charge

          EON fixed price 1 year

          Electricity 13.052p KWh
          Standing charge 26.19p

          Gas 4.023p KWh
          Standing charge 26.19

          Both include VAT

          Slightly cheaper but not much, and the OVO deal is not fixed price, and could be increased

             2 likes

          • Roland Deschain says:

            Interesting, thanks. There’s an electricity saving of 7.0%, gas 3.3% and standing charge 12.1%, so on the face of it that’s not a bad saving.

            I’ve been on their website and smell bullshit:

            Green Energy Plan
            100% renewable energy
            we estimate your annual bill will be £1421

            How do they ensure only 100% renewable energy gets to my house? They don’t, of course. Do my lights go off if the wind stops blowing? Where’s the renewable gas coming from?

            Well, according to Wikipedia, “The UK National Grid believes that at least 15% of all gas consumed could be made from sewage slurry, old sandwiches and other food thrown away by supermarkets…[snip] Göteborg Energi and E.ON are hoping to be among the first to develop a commercial scale BioSNG plant in Gothenburg, Sweden.” Perhaps Wiki is out of date, but guessing there can’t be too much commercial scale renewable gas production going on yet, or I’m sure the BBC would have been trumpeting it by now.

            And if I’m stupid enough to believe their bullshit they’ll charge me 14.07p, 3.81p and 23.02p respectively.

            Nope, something doesn’t add up here.

               2 likes

            • Thoughtful says:

              I’m afraid I missed a bit out.

              There is a £20 discount if you take both fuels , and a 6% discount if you pay be direct debit meaning that the EON prices should be:

              Electricity 11.40p KWh
              Standing charge 24.62p per day

              Gas 3.78p KWh
              Standing charge 24.62p per day

              Meaning that EON are actually cheaper for the energy if not for the standing charges.

                 0 likes

  37. Henry says:

    Newsnight had a pretty dreadful piece on modern feminism.
    .
    Went on about undefined sexism for a bit, had some singer saying that feminism social media was going to “change the world, it already is”, then mentioned ‘stubborn, hard to shift inequalities’ that remain mysteriously vague.
    .
    After that throwaway remarks about ‘exploitation’ (unspecified). Starting to see a pattern? All this is deliberately vague because the proponents don’t want to discuss the issue, they want you to join their cause – a very small number of women trying to manipulate a very large number of women.
    .
    “Not everyone believes that the new digital world will allow feminism to achieve its goals” Notice the assumption is that achieving those (undelineated) goals is a necessary thing.
    .
    Just another item of evidence for the BBC turning into a propaganda channel

       6 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      It’s actually now on most TV listings every day now:
      “Newsnight has a pretty dreadful piece on_________”
      It seems what comes down Mr. Katz’ slipway is decided by his missus, and then shaped by the vast TV experience and ideological integrity only his previous role can confer.
      She seems to like it.
      Looking at the ratings, few others are as impressed.

         1 likes

  38. AsISeeIt says:

    I see BBC approved terminology is now being picked up by the public.

    You see, if you bang on and on long enough the message gets through.

    Street interview this morning with people had up for non-payment of council tax – I said council tax…. you TV Licence Fee non-payers can get away from the mic…. go on I said get away from the mic.

    Whre were we? Ah yes – non-payers of council tax. Tell us you story Joe Public.

    “Well it’s hitting THE MOST VULNERABLE IN SOCIETY”

    That’s it Justine love, bang on! Straight to air. Cool.

    Proof positive that the BBC book of most of approved words will soon replace the OED

       7 likes

    • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

      How long before the great unwashed wake up and realise the telly-tax is hitting the most vulnerable?

         4 likes

  39. Guest Who says:

    Golly, this thread may be good to Xmas.
    Here’s an OT(ish… There is a message that may apply to government and some media these days) link to a fun animation site.
    http://birdboxstudio.com
    About five down on the right is one called ‘Wildebeest’.
    Made me smile.

       2 likes

  40. AsISeeIt says:

    Just a reminder that the BBC still has this one on the backburner

    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/515555/20131021/bbc-comic-relief-red-nose-day.htm

    The BBC is facing a fresh internal crisis as it emerged that a Panorama investigation which raised serious questions about the broadcaster’s flagship Children in Need fundraising drive has been cancelled and might never be broadcast.

    At least 12 senior executives were reported to have refused to make the final decision on whether to axe the programme, made by independent production company Matchlight. It is thought BBC’s management were terrified of being engulfed in another scandal following the much-attacked decision to axe Newsnight’s investigation into allegations about DJ Jimmy Savile.

    This latest programme, which was due to be aired later this month, claims that charity money raised by Comic Relief was invested in tobacco firms and an arms giant before being donated to charity up to eight years later.

    The investigation also claims that the launch of a range of Gordon Ramsay cooking sauces have cost the charity up to a million pounds. Ramsay’s “Seriously Good” range was launched at a cost of £2m in 2008 but axed last year. Just £470,000 had been raised and £760,000 of the original fund was left. Kevin Cahill, Brand Relief’s Director, later quit.

    The unscreened Panorama also alleges that staff costs making Comic Relief have doubled, from £7.1m a year in 2008 to £13.5m in 2012.

    Last year Comic Relief raised £87.8m for good causes – less than in two of the three previous years. Money raised isn’t released straight away; in 2012 the charity was in possession of £261m in shares, bonds and cash. In August the Sunday People discovered that £14m had been invested in the Invesco Perpetual High Income Fund, which itself invests in the BAE Systems arms giant and three major cigarette manufacturers – British American Tobacco, Reynolds American and Imperial Tobacco.

    Since being established in 1985 Comic Relief has raised £900million and worked in more than 70 countries to alleviate poverty. Many celebrities have played a part in making the event a unique one in the national calendar and there is bound to be alarm at any hint of public money being invested in unethical ways – yet also concern that pulling another programme which shows the BBC in a poor light may be seen as another case of self-censorship.

    Comic Relief’s trustees include the Director of BBC TV, Danny Cohen, Peter Salmon and Tim Davie, who was acting director general last year when a report attacked the decision to axe the Newsnight investigation into Savile.

    A BBC insider told The Mirror: “This is causing huge problems within the Corporation, opening a can of worms some would rather stayed closed. We’re struggling to find other execs to take the place of those who ruled themselves out due to a conflict of interest. This is the BBC in full-on post-Savile self-flagellation mode.”

       6 likes

  41. deegee says:

    One rough guide as to how a story fits the BBC agenda is how long links to it remain on home pages. I’m betting a quick extinction for this one: US scientists track what’s killing golden eagles. Here’s a hint: fast-spinning blades.

       7 likes