1100 [1050] Hrs GMT
London
Tuesday
26 October 2010
Editor © Muhammad Haque
AADHIKARonline Comment on the reported report of OFCOM about reported complaints over Channel 4 Dispatches programme shown in March 2010.
Our comments is the first of a series. This follows the “news” that Brittan’s official regulatory body on broadcasting standards, OFCOM, has just exonerated the makers and the publishers of the programme of any blame or wrongdoing.
We understand that almost one thousand separate complaints were lodged against the programme with OFCOM.
That edition of the Dispatches programme was taken off from Channel 4’s online site following the complaints.
The contents of it were, however available via ‘unofficial’ republishers.
AADHIKARonline will publish the first summary of a longer report on the OFCOM conduct in the near future.
Here we set out why the various individuals who had been featured on the particular edition of the Dispatches programme must answer the allegations that were made against them in that programme.
What do we mean by that?
What we mean [in brief for now] is this: If the Channel 4 Dispatches programme called “Britain’s Islamic Republic” and as fronted by Andrew Gilligan contained untruthful claims then those whom it referred to including George Galloway who was still MP for the Bethnal Green and Bow Constituency [in March 2010 when the Dispatches programme was aired] have a right and a duty to say out in public that the contents concerned are untrue.
This is a position that is universally warranted and justifiable.
In the months since that programme was broadcast, we have asked various individuals in Tower Hamlets about it. Nobody has given us any indication as to what, if anything, the named and characterised individuals were doing about the claims by that programme or about the allegations made in the programme.
In June, before the ‘mobilisation’ of 20 June 2010 around the then ‘threatened invasion’ of Tower Hamlets by a group described as racist, we asked one of George Galloway’s known associates about what they had made of or done about the allegations.
Based on the words in response to the questions, we can say that they did not appear to us as being particularly bothered about the allegations or by the role being played by Andrew Gilligan or by his identifiable links.
Why had we asked George Galloway’s known associate about anything?
The answer is that Andrew Gilligan pointedly referred to Galloway in that programme.
That pointed reference was made to advance the argument that George Galloway had received illegitimate backing of a group that that programme described as being an extremist fundamentalist Islamist anti-democratic one [our paraphrasing] which had been a de facto extension of the international threat against western civilisation and security.
The Channel 4 Dispatches programme also alleged that the same outfit, which it called the ‘Islamic Forum Europe' or IFE, was engaged in carrying out Entryist takeover of the Labour Party in Tower Hamlets and indeed of the levers of political power at the local Tower Hamlets Council.
We believe that these charges are very serious ones and all the named persons and groups must have publicly dealt them with.
As far as we know, they have not been.
We DO note however that there were ‘news conferences’ held at or near the “East London Mosque” at the time.
The FACT of those “news statements” were recorded by a number of “ethnicity linked” ‘media outlets”.
What there has not been is any detailed, chapter-and verse rejection with any universally applicable and tenable demonstration of the definitive rejection of the allegations that have been made and allegations that remain on the record to this day.
Will the persons now show to the wider public what if any action they are now taking if they still maintain that all the serious allegations against them are untrue?
[To be continued]
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