Category Archives: BBC bias

Well then, wonder what you thought of the BBC’s coverage of the Netanyahu speech to Congress? Betraying my own bias, I thought it was fantastic BUT I got the distinct impression that the BBC were outraged that the Israeli PM was daring to stand up to Obama’s dodgy dealings with the Mad Mullahs. A favoured line spewed out by Jeremy Bowen was that this was “electioneering” by Bibi. Gosh – just imagine that – a politician electioneering. Thank god we have principled politicians like Ed Miliband who never electioneer and ‘weaponise” healthcare, right? The rousing reception he got must really annoy the BBC.

Here you go, a new Open Thread. I see there was more welcome news on the economy this morning with the suggestion that  average income back to pre-crisis levels.  On Today, I heard the BBC interview ponder what wages would be had we not had the economic crisis! Oh dear – as Ed’s ‘cost of living crisis” narrative goes off the rails the comrades are doing their best for the glorious leader!!!

From the Telegraph:

Mohammed Emwazi’s younger brother voiced support for the radical Islamic cleric who inspired one of Lee Rigby’s killers, the Telegraph can disclose.

Omar Emwazi, 21, indicated that he admired Sheikh Khalid Yasin on his Facebook profile, which was deleted shortly after his brother was identified as “Jihadi John”.

Yasin is an notorious American preacher who converted from Christianity to Islam and is believed to live in Manchester. He was named by Woolwich terrorist Michael Adebowale as his inspiration for converting to Islam.

Adebowale, 22, said that lectures posted online by Yasin taught him the purpose of life.

In 2011 the BBC broadcast a ridiculously biased film (some things never change) attacking anti-Islamist Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

The film portrayed Sheikh Khalid Yasin as a moderate, describing him as “an American Muslim teacher…on a mission to de-radicalise”.

Here are a couple of my blogposts from 2011 about the Wilders documentary which detail the BBC’s disgraceful whitewashing of Yasin’s radical views:

BBC Geert Wilders Hit-Job

Khalid Yasin Update

Think about that for a moment. The BBC was so determined to use anything it could to attack Geert Wilders it broadcast a film that pretended the guy who inspired one of Lee Rigby’s murderers was a moderate.

I wonder how many young Muslims had their paths to radicalisation informed, in part, by that piece of BBC propaganda.

Peston’s in trouble…or is it Ian Katz…or Jenny Parks? On last night’s Newsnight debate on the EU alarmist film they forgot to mention the female author….she’s not happy….

In regard to the EU’s alarmist scaremongering film given a platform on the BBC …..,

A BBC spokesman responded to the accusations over EU funding and bias saying:

No EU money was used in the making of the programme being aired on the BBC. Impartiality is of paramount importance for the BBC.

 

 

UKIP says different…

The mockumentary producer Bill Emmott confirmed on twitter last night that the production company had received EU funding for the film’s dubbing and distribution across Europe.

The BBC itself didn’t get the funding for the film but the film  itself did get money from the EU….Can’t see that Tweet from Emmott...but there is this though…

 The Mail confirms the funding went on translations for the film.

The film was  broadcast across Europe..

The film will be aired across Europe by eight different broadcasters, a feat Piras described as her “impossible challenge”.

 

Apparently, if I read this right, someone at the BBC thinks it should be shown in the EU Parliament….

Good that the same BBC person, Philippa Thomas,  Lead presenter World News Today @BBCWorld & BBC4,  thinks comparisons of Christianity with ISIS are fair in this day and age…..presumably Jihadi John is Henry VIII?…..

One raised finger…seem familiar?

Compare the Telegraph’s report on Mohammed Emwazi’ school  and the BBC’s.

The Telegraph tells us there was a ‘Muslim Mafia’ at the school that was very religious and pro-active in demanding that the school adopt Muslim friendly practices such as introducing a prayer room. The BBC gives us the ex-headteacher’s thoughts….you might think the BBC would have tried a bit harder to challenge what was in all likelihood a bit of backside covering by her.

The Telegraph reveals Omar Emwazi, 21, was known as a member of the ‘Muslim Mafia’ at school and supported an Islamist cleric who inspired one of Lee Rigby’s killers

[Omar] Emwazi attended Quintin Kynaston, the same north west London school as his older brother, and was known there as a member of the “Muslim Mafia” – a group of particularly religious teenagers.

He is an integral member of a network called Power of Dawah, an evangelical Islamic group that tries to convert people in the street.

The group has hosted lectures by various preachers, which are filmed and put online.

Its Twitter account follows Abdur Raheem Green, a controversial preacher who has justified domestic abuse and has suggested that the 7/7 and 9/11 attacks could have been carried out by western governments.

Emwazi registered the PowerofDawah.com website.

A friend of Emwazi’s said she believed many pupils were being groomed by radicals whilst they were still at school…The “Muslim Mafia” were not popular among their peers as they were considered too judgmental.

“They had a very specific set of values,” she added.

“Quintin Kynaston was full of that. It was 70 per cent or 80 per cent Muslim. There was only one white kid in our class.

“In every year there was a set that was the Muslim Mafia that hung out together and were very religious.

“So many of them are second generation immigrants whose parents are still very much in touch with their culture.

“I think there was a system of grooming at Quintin Kynaston because there have been a few of them.

“They petitioned to have a prayer room so they could pray five times a day and they always went to Regent’s Park mosque every single Friday.

“I think that’s where it happened. A lot of them suddenly got very religious.

 

Was Mohammed Emwazi just as religious as his younger brother at school?  The Daily Mail suggests he did….

After finishing primary school in 1999, young Mohammed moved to Quintin Kynaston Community Academy, in St John’s Wood, where he is believed to have studied alongside former X Factor judge and pop star Tulisa Contostavlos.

Once there, he became more observant of his religion and began wearing more traditional Islamic dress, and his sisters began to wear the hijab.

Curious that the head teacher claims she saw nothing amiss.

The BBC whitewashes the school and makes no mention of any problems with overly devout religiosity from some Muslim pupils…

‘Jihadi John’: Emwazi’s school not aware of radicalisation

Islamist militant Mohammed Emwazi was never suspected of being radicalised at school, his former head teacher says.

Jo Shuter, who was head of Quintin Kynaston Academy in north-west London until 2013, said he had not been “seen as a huge concern” as a pupil.

Emwazi has been named as the man known as “Jihadi John” in several IS hostage videos.

Two other pupils from the school are also thought to have gone to fight in Syria and Somalia.

Ms Shuter, who was head teacher for more than 10 years from 2002, said there had been no indication that any pupils were becoming extremist.

“I am not prepared to say when the radicalisation took place. All I can say is absolutely hand on heart, we had no knowledge of it. If we had we would have done something about it,” she said.

“There was never any sense that any of these young men as I knew them were radicalised when they were in school.”

 

 

The BBC’s renowned and respected journo in Oz, Jon Donnison, brings us the news we really want……

Monday arrives and so does this new Thread. Anyone catch an interview with an Amnesty spokesman on Today this morning. He was wriggling like mad trying to distance his organisation from the Jihad apologists in Cage and was lobbed far too many soft ball questions. The BBC treats Amnesty with kid gloves and I can recall doing a BBC debate with Moazzam Beggs. He was accompanied to the studio by the local Amnesty Rep.

No surprise the BBC favours this….From the Independent:

End of the licence fee: BBC to back radical overhaul of how it is funded

The BBC will back a radical overhaul of the licence fee, paving the way for the end of the current system of funding the state broadcaster, the Corporation’s head, Tony Hall, is expected to say today.

In a speech to staff at Broadcasting House, Lord Hall is expected to indicate the Corporation’s backing for a broadcasting levy that would apply to every household, regardless of whether they have a television.

Last week the parliamentary Culture, Media and Sport Committee said the £145.50 annual licence fee should ultimately be replaced by a German-style “broadcasting levy” that would apply to every household. The change would allow the BBC to collect funds from the estimated 500,000 households which claim not to have a television or only watch programmes on-demand through platforms like the BBC iPlayer.

However MPs believe the earliest that a levy could be introduced in the UK would be 2026.

Extraordinary excuse from the BBC that it claims allows it to broadcast programmes that are explicitly biased….it’s OK as long as they aren’t made by the BBC itself…(H/T George R)

A BBC spokesman responded to the accusations over EU funding and bias saying:

No EU money was used in the making of the programme being aired on the BBC. Impartiality is of paramount importance for the BBC.

This fictional programme reflects the author’s vision. BBC editorial guidelines do not prevent the acquisition of independent programmes which approach subjects from a particular perspective. ”

 

That gives the BBC an extraordinary freedom to broadcast basically what it likes under the guise of it being ‘independent’ regardless of any ‘message’ being embedded within such programmes.

Did like that  ‘ Impartiality is of paramount importance for the BBC.’