http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/08/islam-channel-ofcom
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/08/islam-channel-ofcom>
Islam Channel censured by Ofcom
Programmes on the London-based broadcaster had advocated
marital rape and violence against women
* Josh Halliday
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday>
* guardian.co.uk <http://www.guardian.co.uk/> , Monday 8 November
2010 15.34 GMT
* Article history
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/08/islam-channel-ofcom#history\
-link-box>
The presenter Nazreen Nawaz on Islam Channel, which
has been ruled as in breach of the broadcasting code.
Ofcom <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/ofcom> has ruled that
Islam <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/islam> Channel, a
London-based broadcaster, broke the broadcasting code for
advocating marital rape, violence against women and describing
women who wore perfume outside of the home as
"prostitutes".
Five programmes broadcast on the satellite TV channel were
ruled to be in breach of broadcasting guidelines, the
media regulator said today. Ofcom launched its investigation
into the programmes, which aired in 2008 and 2009, following a
report by the Quilliam thinktank
<http://quilliamnews.org/JI3-AMRJ-2Q5VTJ-44ZJ0-1/c.aspx> that was
published in March.
In a programme first broadcast in April last year, Ofcom ruled
that the Islam Channel host Nazreen Nawaz condoned
marital rape when she said: "And really the idea that a woman
cannot refuse her husband's relations this is not strange to a
Muslim because it is part of maintaining that strong
marriage. But it shouldn't be such a big problem
where the man feels he has to force himself upon the woman."
The channel also broke the broadcasting code by encouraging
violence against women, in a Q&A session on marital
violence, and for labelling women who wore perfume
"prostitutes".
The broadcaster, which was fined £30,000 by Ofcom in 2007
for a series of breaches
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jul/31/ofcom.broadcasting> ,
also broke impartiality regulations for broadcasting one-sided
coverage of international affairs and the Middle East
conflict.
"Ofcom remains concerned about Islam Channel's understanding
and compliance processes in relation to the
[broadcasting] code," the media regulator said. "This is
particularly the case, given that the Islam Channel has
previously been fined for breaches of the code
relating to due impartiality."
Ofcom is so concerned it has called in the management from
Islam Channel for a top-level meeting to explain and
discuss its compliance processes in relation to the code.
Talal Rajab, author of the original Quilliam report into Islam
Channel, added: "At the same time, there are
encouraging signs that the channel is now making efforts to
improve its output and to give greater airtime to a wider
range of more mainstream Muslim voices. We stand
ready to help Islam Channel further improve and diversify its
output in order to avoid further problems. The Islam Channel
could yet become a powerful voice for greater social
harmony."
The report published in March by the Quilliam thinktank had
found that Islam Channel regularly promoted violent
extremist views and regressive attitudes towards women. The
foundation monitored the channel's output over a three-month
period and a published a report in March
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/mar/26/islam-channe\
l-intolerant-islam> claiming that Islam Channel was implicit
in spreading "reactionary, intolerant messages".
Following the report, Ofcom requested recordings of a number
of Islam Channel programmes citing the allegations
raised potential issues under the broadcasting code regarding
impartiality and harm and offence.
In a submission to the Ofcom report, Islam Channel said that
it "does not condone or encourage violence towards
women under any circumstances", and that it "does not condone
or encourage marital rape". Ofcom considered that the
presenter at the time was clear that some form of
physical punishment towards a woman was acceptable,
in contrast to the channel's formal position.
To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email
edi...@mediaguardian.co.uk <mailto:edi...@mediaguardian.co.uk> or phone
020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please
call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.
If you are writing a comment for publication, please
mark clearly "for publication".
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/08/islam-channel-ofcom>
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