Dispatches Islamophobic documentary
Channel 4’s Dispatches is due to broadcast a damaging and misleading programme on Monday 1st March at 8pm. For nearly a year the programme had undercover reporters attending events (including private meetings) of Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) and passing themselves off as Muslims and friends, but acting as agents provocateurs to solicit replies to use against IFE.
IFE is a mainstream community organisation with members hailing from different walks of life. Its activities and events are open to the public and publicised widely. No request was made by Dispatches to gain access to IFE’s activities or projects. Instead by using undercover reporters and ‘covert filming’, Dispatches has portrayed IFE as a secretive organisation, arousing much suspicion.
The Dispatches programme on 1st March is set to falsely portray IFE as an extremist and sinister organisation, and undo the years of good work in the community. The programme wrote to IFE few days ago asking for their response/comment on around 23 different issues and allegations, including links to Al-Qaeda and engaging in “entryism” in an attempt to bring about an Islamic ‘coup’ within mainstream British politics, or achieve political domination.
As concerned citizens of this country, we strongly condemn this demonization of an organisation with a track record of transparency, integration and engagement. Moreover this programme is not only politically-motivated due to the upcoming elections, it is also Islamophobic in nature – preying on public fears about extremism.
Please protest against this divisive programme by registering your complaints to the producers of Dispatches, Channel 4, Ofcom (regulatory body) and John Fitzptrick MP who has been feeding drivel to Dispatches.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Watch Channel 4’s Dispatches programme on 1st March at 8pm and register your complaint:
Call 0845 076 0191 and make a verbal complaint.
Send your written complaint to:
Channel 4 Enquiries
PO Box 1058
Belfast
BT 1 9DU
Go online to register your complaint: http://help.channel4.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=C4_Author,Company={2EA1BB9C-510E-44A5-A481-01EB1DDA1669},T=CONTACT_VE,VARSET_TITLE=TV
Log on to the Dispatches web link and comment on the programme directly: www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches.
Call 0300 123 3333 or 020 7981 3040 and complain to OFCOM (the radio and television regulator). They are open Monday to Friday, from 9.00am to 5.00pm.
3. Send letters, emails and also phone Jim Fitzpatrick MP to complain. He comments form the basis of many of the allegations by Dispatches.
Email: fitzpatrickj@parliament.uk
Address: Jim Fitzpatrick MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Parliamentary Office: Tel: 020 7219 5085/6215 / Fax: 020 7219 2776 Constituency Office: Tel: 020 7536 0562 / Fax: 020 7536 0572
First, it was a remarkable well argued and balanced documentary — did you notice how many *Muslims* were unhappy at the IFE’s tactics. Be honest: it’s organizations like IFE and the JI that give Islam and Muslims a bad name.
Second, if the IFE are all sweetness and light then exposing their methods to the daylight can’t hurt, can it? If you noticed, Gilligan spent relatively little time critiquing the ideology of the IFE (despite it being so theologically and politically flawed, my cat could have had a good go) — and more discussing their methodology. If there’s nothing wrong with their methodology, then what’s the problem?
Finally, the “Islamaphobia” charge is looking a bit tired these days — it particularly doesn’t work when the majority of the interviewees expressing concern at the IFE are Muslims themselves. Is there such a thing as an “Islamaphobic Muslim”?
I emailed Channel 4 to thank them — thanks for those contact numbers!
“Second, if the IFE are all sweetness and light then exposing their methods to the daylight can’t hurt, can it?” – Tahharah
The whole point is that Gilligan never got the methodology and ideas right and got it all upside down on purpose, with his McCarthy style reporting, cut-and-pasting, and partisan claims from other politically-driven Muslims.
That’s the problem. No doubt, you will be happy with his reporting as, according to your other posts on the net, you’re happy with anything that attacks Islam because it has something to say on politics.
A shame that you are so willing to worship a man (great and noble though he is) like Jesus, yet at the same time deny and ignore the laws and politics he brought from God in the Bible. Accepting some and denying others based on whims and guesswork.