Radical Muslims given Channel 4 slot

A radical Muslim who led the banned group al-Muhajiroun is to be handed his own programme on Channel 4 amid claims that Islamists have been allowed to monopolise the broadcaster’s coverage.

Anjem Choudary, who was also involved with the banned group Islam4UK which planned a protest march through Wootton Bassett, will have free reign to give his views during an edition of the channel’s daily opinion slot, known as 4thought.tv.

The counter-terrorism think-tank Quilliam has written to David Abraham, the Channel 4 chief executive, to complain about airtime already given to radical Muslims during the series.

It claimed that 4thought.tv had failed to properly identify the ideological allegiances of presenters and that a disproportionate amount of time had been given to extremists.

The format of the short programme allows guest presenters to give their views unchallenged.

Talal Rajab, from Quilliam, said: “Given the profoundly negative impact that al-Muhajiroun and Islam4UK have had on the social cohesion of the UK, it is highly inappropriate for a mainstream public broadcaster to be providing such a popular platform for their fanatical views.

“Moreover, al-Muhajiroun was banned by the British government because of its links to individuals who had committed acts of Islamist-inspired terrorism.

“We therefore urge Channel 4 to reconsider airing Anjem Choudary’s film, and to aspire to feature a more representative and moderate portrayal of Islam in all future programming.”

Choudary, who has described the 9/11 bombers “magnificent martyrs”, will say in his programme to be broadcast on Dec 5 that British Muslims are “persecuted”.

Channel 4 has already broadcast a film by another radical Muslim, Abu Nusaybah, who supported Choudary’s plan for an Islamist march through Wootton Bassett, the scene of tributes to fallen British soldiers. In it, Nusaybah called for sharia law to be introduced in Britain.

The letter from Quilliam to Channel 4 said: “While freedom of speech is important and Anjem Choudary and his followers undoubtedly have the right to put forward their repugnant views, we find it inexplicable that they should be allowed to monopolise such an important strand of Channel 4’s programming at the expense of other British Muslims who are overwhelmingly tolerant and good-natured people.”

Choudary told The Sunday Telegraph: “Quilliam are sycophants on the British Government payroll, and it is in their own interest to criticise people like ourselves who are calling for sharia and being normal Muslims.

“It did not surprise me to be invited to take part in the programme.”

A Channel 4 spokesman said: “The film is one of seven short films that air across the week offering different perspectives on the question of whether Christians are the new persecuted.

“Across the week, the majority of contributors agree with that statement. Anjem Choudary, was asked to contribute because of his previously stated views that Muslims, not Christians, are the persecuted.

“Choudary’s position is directly contradicted by the former Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali who believes that Christianity is under attack from both an aggressive secularism and radical Islam and Christian Andrea Williams who believes her faith is increasingly marginalised in this country and that people are far more willing to attack Christianity than Islam.”

See more on this Topic