Channel’s 4 broadcasting of the Muslim call to prayer during the holy month of Ramadan was the broadcaster’s most-complained about programme last year.
It received 2,011 complaints about its 4Ramadan season with 1,658 specifically about the broadcast of the daily call to prayer.
Writing in the broadcaster’s annual report, Channel 4’s head of factual Ralph Lee said: ‘The level of Islamophobia we encountered with the 4Ramadan season was unexpected, though much of it came from communities that were either very polarised or very un-diverse.’
He continued: ‘It was balanced by an incredibly positive reaction from British Muslims, who were grateful for the acknowledgement of an important moment for them.’
Mr Lee said he personally received hundreds of emails complaining about the broadcast after he defended it in a column for Radio Times, where he said it would ‘act as a nationwide Tannoy system’ and a provocation to viewers ‘in the very real sense of the word’.
Channel 4 received a total of 16,835 complaints over 2013 with the second most-complained about show being Crazy About One Direction - a documentary about the boyband’s most devoted fans, which attracted 1,056 complaints.
A Channel 4 spokeswoman said: ‘We are clearly not saying that all the complaints we received were Islamophobic in nature, but simply that we were surprised by the level which were.’
After Channel 4 announced the Ramadan season of programming, a group called Britain First, who described themselves as a ‘patriotic political movement’ took to Twitter to proclaim: ‘Get ready for a month’s worth of TV programmes pandering to Islam courtesy of Channel 4.’
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society described the month-long season as a ‘publicity-seeking stunt’.
He said: ‘It seems reasonable that there should be some acknowledgment on TV of the needs of the growing Muslim population in Britain, although one can’t help wondering whether this is just another of Channel 4’s publicity-seeking stunts.
‘Given that the BBC devotes hundreds of hours a year to Christianity, with two or three church services every day on its radio stations, and hardly any mention of minority religions, a few minutes devoted to Islam doesn’t seem unreasonable.’
Channel 4 said it received 321 appreciative comments concerning its Ramadan series which was also the largest positive reaction of any show during 2013.
According to the annual report, the season was watched by 5.3 million people - compared to the British Muslim population of 2.8 million.
A spokesperson said: ‘The season’s ambition to improve understanding of a minority culture was successful. Four out of five viewers surveyed told us they had learned something new.
‘This was Channel 4 fulfilling the spirit of its remit, providing space for an alternative view, unafraid to give a voice to the underrepresented, and producing television that was both entertaining and enlightening.’