Channel 4 accused of 'distortion'

Channel 4 accused of 'distortion'

Channel 4 aired the Dispatches show in JanuaryPolice are reporting Channel 4 to industry regulator Ofcom over the way an undercover programme was edited.
But charges will not be brought against preachers featured in the Dispatches programme which looked at allegations of extremism in mosques.
West Midlands Police carried out an investigation into three speakers in the programme Undercover Mosque.
The Crown Prosecution Service says the programme "completely distorted" what the speakers said.
In a statement Channel 4 spokesman Gavin Dawson said: "We believe the offensive views expressed by the people revealed in the programme speak for themselves.
To try and demonise the efforts of these people by taking their comments out of context was shocking
Abu UsamahGreen Lane Mosque preacher
"We didn't put these words into people's mouths and all extracts were carefully contextualised.
"The West Midlands Police have provided no evidence whatsoever to support their allegations."
The programme investigated a number of mosques, one of which was Green Lane Mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham.
It investigated mosques run by organisations claiming to be dedicated to moderation and dialogue with other faiths.
'Moderate tradition'
A Green Lane Mosque spokesman said he had been shocked by the programme and was thankful the mosque's name had been cleared.
Abu Usamah, one of the preachers featured in the programme, said he was shocked when he saw himself depicted.
"It was the fact that Green Lane Mosque has a 33-year-old tradition of preaching and teaching the moderate version of Islam.
In this case we have been dealing with a heavily edited television programme
Bethan David, CPS lawyer
"To try and demonise the efforts of these people by taking their comments out of context was shocking."
Mr Usamah said he had been featured as saying homosexuals should be thrown from a mountain when in fact he was explaining it was an opinion featured in some books, and not one he believed.
An undercover reporter claimed to provide evidence that certain speakers preached messages of religious bigotry and extremism.
The Channel 4 Dispatches website, in a piece about the programme, said the reporter had attended talks at mosques and found preachers "condemning the idea of integration into British society, condemning British democracy as unIslamic and praising the Taliban for killing British soldiers".
Police said they acknowledged some parts of the programme may have been considered offensive, but, when analysed in full context, there was not enough evidence to bring charges.
'Completely distorted'
The investigation was then extended to include looking at issues relating to the editing and portrayal of the programme.
CPS lawyer Bethan David considered 56 hours of media footage of which only a part was used in the programme.
She said: "The splicing together of extracts from longer speeches appears to have completely distorted what the speakers were saying.
"The CPS has demonstrated it will not hesitate to prosecute those responsible for criminal incitement.
"But in this case we have been dealing with a heavily edited television programme, apparently taking out of context aspects of speeches which in their totality could never provide a realistic prospect of any convictions."
Police also asked the CPS to consider a prosecution for including material likely to stir up racial hatred but again were advised there was insufficient evidence.

Saira Khan’s Pakistan Adventure

This two part show was aired on Tuesday 1st August and again on the 7th at 21.00. The show was, on the surface, exactly what the title says, a Pakistani adventure. Saira Khan travelled all over from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to Kashmir. However, this show was no ordinary holiday show that you might see on Channel 4 or Sky Travel. It was produced for a specific purpose.

The overwhelming factor of the show was that Saira was constantly commenting on aspects of life through Western eyes. In fact she seemed to be analysing every scenario through feminist eyes. For example, she decided to travel to the north of Pakistan towards the Himalayas. These parts of the country are obviously extremely remote areas where the only sign of life are those truck drivers who work on these routes.

She decided to take a break at a truck stop where she began to comment on the lack of a female presence! Does she expect to see women singing and dancing in the middle of nowhere? She then sat down and shouted the owners to bring her some tea, even though it was clear to see that this was a self service kind of place. As she sipped her tea she began her monologue to the camera. “All the men seem to be staring at me” she complained.

They were looking at her in bemusement as to why she was there. Not only that but she is in a predominantly Muslim country and she was not dressed too modestly by their standards and also had her tom boy hair all out. Even someone who was not of Asian origin would have had a little more understanding.

Examples like this went on and on. She visited an “artist” who only painted prostitutes. He revealed his secret collection which was in effect pornography. Ms Khan commented how beautiful it was and that he should not be shunned by the government and wider society. Again she was looking through Western eyes and did not take into account the culture and tradition of the country.

The show took a sinister turn when she was given a seat with the murderer himself, President Musharraf. How can a woman on a trip around Pakistan get a seat with the President when so many have failed? I later found that this was due to the ideas that she was pushing. Pakistan is a liberal, democratic country and that’s what the people want. Islam has no part to play in politics or in the day to day affairs of the country.

This idea was emphasized when Saira went to visit Sufi shrines such as Dada Darbar where men sing Qawali until the crowds are stirred up into a frenzy of dancing and convulsing. This kind of celebration was portrayed as worship and the “true” version of Islam. The very same kind of Islam that is pushed by the British Government advisers, The Sufi Muslim Council.

This was the agenda of the producers and the presenter.