TV documentary accused of misrepresenting UK Muslims
Regional-UK, Local, 1/13/2007

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is accusing Channel Four commercial channel of attempting to foment division and sectarianism among Britain's 1.8 million Muslim community.

A documentary, being screened Monday, goes undercover at mosques to find what it in its advance publicity are "preachers condemning integration into British society, condemning democracy and praising the Taliban for killing British soldiers." MCB said the Dispatches program "mischievously tried to prove that key Muslim institutions are teaching the exact opposite to Islam commanding Muslims to deal positively and peacefully with those around us."

The producers were "resorting to the dishonest tactic of selectively quoting from some recorded speeches for the purpose of misrepresentation," MCB secretary general Abdul Bari said.

"Their aim is to attach guilt by association. This continuing demonization of British Muslims and the risible attempt at promoting sectarianism among British Muslims will be firmly rejected," Bari said.

The documentary claimed that it "captures chilling sermons in which Saudi-trained preachers proclaim the supremacy of Islam, preach hatred for non-Muslims and for Muslims who do not follow their extreme beliefs - and predict a coming jihad." It also alleges that "Saudi Arabian universities are recruiting young Western Muslims to train them in their extreme theology, then sending them back to the West to spread the word."

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