But for all the warped values which led to such changes, the edits merely affected the BBC’s own words. What the corporation did to the Prime Minister’s words in the House of Commons on Monday, however, was simply shocking. Mr Blair told MPs this: “It seems probable that the attack was carried out by Islamist extremist terrorists…” The BBC’s report of Mr Blair’s statement is a wilful distortion: “Those responsible…, probably Islamic extremists, would be hunted down.” The Prime Minister referred to them specifically as terrorists. But the BBC deliberately left out that most important word.
And it did not even report Mr Blair’s conclusion: “Together, we will ensure that though terrorists can kill, they will never destroy the way of life we share and which we value, and which we will defend with the strength of belief and conviction so that it is to us and not to the terrorists, that victory will belong.”
I should be outraged, but I’m not even surprised at this. The British chattering classes have been enamored of the caliphascists for years, if not decades. The real question is, is there in fact a point to which the BBC can sink that is so low that the British people won’t put up with it? I’m not hopeful on that score.
A delegation of Muslim leaders and senior scholars met [UK] Home Office Minister Paul Goggins this week to seek clarification on the Incitement to Religious Hatred Bill. […]
Recent confusion regarding freedoms to deliver khutbahs and to recite and quote from the Qur’an and ahadith had raised concerns in the community that dawah and propagatory practices may be curtailed under the new legislation.
The Minister assured the Muslim community that there was nothing in the bill that would prevent scholars from delivering their sermons or from reciting from the Qu’ran and ahadith.
[…]
The minister said, it would be difficult to exempt scriptures because there is likelihood that extreme groups like the BNP may use verses of the Qur’an to incite hatred against the Muslim community. Therefore, the very purpose of the Act would be defeated.
If Islam is truly a religion of peace,why would Islamic leaders / scholars in the UK be concerned that the Qur’an might be banned under a law prohibiting inciting religious hatred? Note that even the UK ministers agree with that assessment that quoting from the Qur’an can be incitement to religous hatred. If, of course, the quoting is done by non-Muslims.