UK based Takbeer TV, which bills itself as the Channel of LOVE, apparently fails to live up even to the mildest expectations that description might arouse. It has been rebuked, for a second time, for breaching Ofcom’s broadcasting rules in its abusive coverage of Ahmadi Muslims.
Takbeer aired two programmes ‘Global Khatm-E-Nabuwat Movement’, broadcast on 9th June 2012 and ‘Khatm Nabuwat’, broadcast on 3rd July 2012 in which they both encouraged callers to make “derogatory and extreme” statements about the Ahmadi community.
(Concerns had been raised back in 2011 because some of its programmes were felt to incite violence against the Ahmadiyya community.) Here is part (pdf) of Ofcom’s recent ruling.
We considered that Mr Sialvi’s remarks helped soften and contextualise the abusive comments being made by the two callers in question to a limited extent. However, we noted that these were the only instances where the presenter sought to challenge gratuitously abusive remarks being made by callers or contributors to the programme. For example, Mr Sialvi did not rebuke or otherwise challenge the panellist, Mr Qari, in any way, when the latter variously described the Ahmadis as: having “monstrous” intentions; “snakes”; and, as explained above, having beliefs that require a “surgeon who dissects without giving anaesthesia”.
As I noted here Tell MAMA UK is concerned to address problems faced by the Ahmadiyya community as well as more conventional manifestations of anti-Muslim bigotry.
Hat Tip:Raquel Saraswati
