BBC Edict - 'Not to Call Abu Qatada an Extremist'

[Teddy Bear]

I defy anybody to research the background of Abu Qatada and tell me that he doesn't qualify for the term EXTREMIST. He preaches terrorism and urges terrorist attacks. According to Wikipedia he is under worldwide embargo by the United Nations Security Council Committee 1267 for his affiliation with al-Qaeda. He is wanted on terrorism charges in Algeria, the United States, Belgium, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and his native Jordan.

But BBC staff are under instruction not to refer to him as an extremist. Nothing more extreme than 'radical'. Also not to show pictures that show him as too overweight, or refer to his ample girth.

A BBC spokesman said: “We think very carefully about the language we use. We do not ban words – the notes are a reflection of a live editorial discussion about how to report the latest developments on this story.”

As we know from experience, this doesn't mean that it has to relate to truth or accuracy, just what best fits the BBC agenda. I noted a few days ago on how few stories actually relate to Muslim extremism if you search the BBC website for such. It appears they want to keep it that way.

BBC tells its staff: don’t call Qatada extremist
The BBC has told its journalists not to call Abu Qatada, the al-Qaeda preacher, an “extremist”.

By Neil Midgley and James Kirkup

9:08PM GMT 07 Feb 2012

In order to avoid making a “value judgement”, the corporation’s managers have ruled that he can only be described as “radical”.

Journalists were also cautioned against using images suggesting the preacher is overweight.

A judge ruled this week that the Muslim preacher, once described as “Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe”, should be released from a British jail, angering ministers and MPs.

Adding to the row, Kenneth Clarke, the Justice Secretary, yesterday insisted that Qatada “has not committed any crime” and said his release has nothing to do with the European Court of Human Rights.

A British court has called Qatada a “truly dangerous individual” and even his defence team has suggested he poses a “grave risk” to national security.

Despite that background, BBC journalists were told they should not describe Qatada as an extremist. The guidance was issued at the BBC newsroom’s 9.00am editorial meeting yesterday, chaired by a senior manager, Andrew Roy.

According to notes of the meeting, seen by The Daily Telegraph, journalists were told: “Do not call him an extremist – we must call him a radical. Extremist implies a value judgement.”

The guidance was criticised by experts and MPs. Maajid Nawaz of Quilliam, a counter-extremist think tank, accused the BBC of “liberal paralysis” over Islamic extremism, saying journalists must be honest about Qatada’s record. He said: “A radical is someone who is different from the norm. An extremist is someone who promotes extreme views and actions, like killing innocents.”

James Clappison, a Conservative member of the Commons home affairs select committee, said the guidance was unjustifiable. He said: “Given the evidence about this man, it makes you wonder what you have to do for the BBC to call you an extremist.”

BBC staff were also cautioned against using library images suggesting the cleric is overweight, because he has “lost a lot of weight”.

A BBC spokesman said: “We think very carefully about the language we use. We do not ban words – the notes are a reflection of a live editorial discussion about how to report the latest developments on this story.”

[Teddy Bear]

More on this story, this time from the Daily Mail, asking 'which side is the BBC on?'. Clearly a matter that many people will feel quite strongly about and raise the opposition to the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the BBC and its mindset.

Consider that the BBC want to call him a radical instead of extremist. As is pointed out in the article

Maajid Nawaz of counter-extremist think-tank Quilliam, says the BBC has 'liberal paralysis' over Islamic extremism, adding that journalists have to be honest about Qatada’s record. He told Mail Online: 'A radical is someone who is different from the norm. An extremist is someone who promotes extreme views and actions, like killing innocents.'

With regard to what is going on throughout the Muslim world today, Qatada is not a radical, he represents a growing trend of those who support terrorism to achieve their supremacy. The BBC prefers to put blinkers on.

Whose side are they on? BBC tells journalists to stop calling Qatada 'an extremist' - and showing pics of him looking fat (but we can, so here he is!)

• The term 'extremist' suggest a value judgement, say Beeb bosses
  
• Cleric should instead be described as 'radical'
  
• David Cameron accused of 'complacency' over Qatada situation
  

BBC journalists have been told not to call hate preacher Abu Qatada an 'extremist'.

Using such a term to describe the man once called 'Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe', is making a 'value judgment' and should be avoided, bosses have said.

The corporation’s managers have insisted he should be described as 'radical', according to meeting notes seen by the Telegraph.

Journalists were also advised not to use images that suggest the preacher is overweight.

Earlier this week an immigration judge ruled that the Muslim preacher - who former Home Secretary David Blunkett described as 'extraordinarily dangerous' - should be released from jail.

Despite Home Secretary Theresa May's insistence that 'the right place for a terrorist is in a prison cell', he is expected to walk free from Long Lartin high security prison in Worcestershire on Monday.

Even his defence team has suggested he poses a 'grave risk' to national security.

Despite this, BBC journalists were told they should avoided calling Qatada an extremist.
POLITICALLY CORRECT KEN IN LINE WITH BBC

Abu Qatada 'has not committed any crime' and we cannot blame European human rights for his release, Ken Clarke has said.

The Justice Secretary said it was a British judge who granted him bail, and it did not have 'anything to do with the European Court'.

Speaking at the Oldie magazine awards in central London, Mr Clarke told The Daily Telegraph: 'I don’t think it has anything to do with the European Court, it is a question of how long you can detain someone who is not accused of committing a crime and no body intends to charge him with anything.'

Qatada is wanted in Jordan to stand trial for his alleged involvement in a Millennium bomb plot.

The guidance was issued at the BBC newsroom’s 9am editorial meeting yesterday, chaired by a senior manager, Andrew Roy.

According to notes of the meeting, seen by The Daily Telegraph, journalists were told: 'Do not call him an extremist – we must call him a radical. Extremist implies a value judgment.'

The guidance has been met with criticism from MPs and experts.

Maajid Nawaz of counter-extremist think-tank Quilliam, says the BBC has 'liberal paralysis' over Islamic extremism, adding that journalists have to be honest about Qatada’s record.

He told Mail Online: 'A radical is someone who is different from the norm. An extremist is someone who promotes extreme views and actions, like killing innocents.'

Conservative MP James Clappison, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: 'Given the evidence about this man, it makes you wonder what you have to do for the BBC to call you an extremist.'

BBC staff were also advised not to use library images that show the cleric looking overweight, because he has 'lost a lot of weight'.

A BBC spokesman told Mail Online: 'It is not uncommon for us to discuss how we cover stories impartially and we always think very carefully about the language we use.

'We do not ban words - the notes are a reflection of a live editorial discussion about how to report the latest developments on this story.
BBC bosses saying they should avoid making 'value judgments' when describing the radical preacher

BBC journalists were told that they should avoid making 'value judgments' when describing the radical preacher

'In terms of pictures, as with any story, this is a reminder to use the most up-to-date photos for accuracy.'

The guidance comes after the BBC warned journalists to try to avoid using the word 'terrorist' after the July 7 bombings in 2005.

In an advisory memo sent to all BBC journalists, the Corporation said that 'terrorist' is politically loaded and should be used only 'sparingly'.

The BBC guidance comes as Labout MPs hit out at David Cameron was accused of 'dangerous complacency' today over the Government’s stance on extremist Muslim preacher Abu Qatada.

Mr Cameron branded the immigration court’s decision 'unacceptable' amid outrage as a previous European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling said Qatada could not be returned to his native Jordan to face terror charges over fears that evidence against him was given under torture.

Labour MP Steve McCabe challenged Mr Cameron over the case at Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons today.

The Birmingham Selly Oak MP said: 'Why hasn’t the Government lodged an appeal against the Abu Qatada judgment?

'Aren’t you being dangerously complacent, Prime Minister?'

Fellow Labour MP Geraint Davies (Swansea West) said: 'In three months’ time, just before the Olympics, Abu Qatada, a truly dangerous man, will be roaming the streets of London with his mobile phone and internet access, thanks to you abolishing control orders and house arrest provisions.

'How can you justify putting the public’s right to life at risk in order to give over to the Liberal Democrats in their demands to abolish control orders? It’s disgusting.'

The Prime Minister branded the Qatada situation 'absolutely unacceptable', saying: 'We are doing everything we can to get him out of the country.

'The absolutely key thing to do is get an agreement with Jordan about the way he would be treated because the ECHR has made a very clear judgment on that.

'I happen to think it is the wrong judgment.'

And he urged Labour to unite to help solve the issue rather than 'snipe'.

[vandamme]

News-speak in action, including "Journalists were also advised not to use images that suggest the preacher is overweight."!

[Teddy Bear]

Hey Van good to see you

Yeah, don't you know, Islam is the religion of peace and slim people? In some places it's called Islim

[Teddy Bear]

An excellent article by Ed West at the Telegraph on the subject. He also makes the observation at the paucity of material when looking for articles on 'Islamic Extremism' on the BBC website, in fact he notes the last one was in 1998. I noted a similar dynamic myself some days ago with the term 'Muslim Extremism'.

He goes on to show however, that if you search for Right-Wing Extremism, there is something there from just 2 days ago.

Nothing like balance and impartiality from the BBC to justify their licence fee, and as we've come to expect - this is nothing like balance and impartiality.

The BBC: the world's largest liberal echo chamber
By Ed West Politics Last updated: February 8th, 2012

There’s an old saying – you can be a famous poisoner or a successful poisoner, but you can’t be both. The same rule could be applied to many other professions – spies, for instances, or propagandists.
A few years back I went to the London Barbican to watch Outfoxed, a documentary feature film that made the outrageous claim that Fox TV was rather to the Right in its coverage of political issues.

Astounding! The cinema audience laughed and wailed and expressed outrage at the channel’s obvious political distortion. And in the morning, I imagine, those same people turned on their radio to listen to the Today programme confident that this was the undistorted truth free from bias and lies.

But while Fox has certainly influenced politics in the US, in terms of shifting the terms of cultural and political debate it is like Austin Powers to the BBC’s James Bond.

The latest revelation to come out of the BBC is the guidance issued at the BBC editorial meeting suggesting that Abu Qatada, the Jordanian whom the British government is too gutless to deport, should not be described as an “extremist” because that would suggest a “value judgment”.

Abu Qatada has been an adviser to al-Qaeda terrorists, has called for the murder of the families of policemen in Egypt, and has been found in possession of money that was to be sent to Chechen guerrillas; he has also written for the magazine of the Algerian group the GIA and has called for the end to all relations between Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

A Liberal Democrat he is not.

Of course the BBC could argue that they are trying to avoid editorialising, but I would take them slightly more seriously if they hadn’t, just two days ago, puffed up a report into “Right-wing extremism” in Europe. (Despite the occasional "white scare", terrorism and political violence in Europe is generally a Left-wing or separatist affair; as for the phrase “Islamic terrorism” – the last use of the phrase from the BBC I could find is from 1998. I guess it must have stopped.)

If this sounds petty, that is because pettiness is the point, for cultural shifts do not happen by crude tabloid use of rhetoric, rather by subtle changes in language that, within half a generation all of a sudden put majority-held opinions beyond the pale: an opponent of EU membership becomes a “hardline Eurosceptic”; American protesters against runaway debt are labelled as “angry”, implying they are irrational, scared and motivated by personal psychological problems.

The BBC has a slanted view on a number of topics, although having researched the subject of mass immigration for an upcoming book I’ve come to view their assumptions about that issue as almost comically unrepresentative; apart from one David Goodhart programme the BBC has never in my lifetime even questioned this diversity delusion.*

Recently the willingness of so many liberals to believe an obviously flawed study claiming that conservatives are more likely to be stupid (there’s a thorough look at it here – if you don’t understand it, it’s because you’re a racist) says a lot about the tribal liberal, believing as he does that conservatives must either be mentally ill, stupid or lacking the moral qualities of generosity, kindness and tolerance.

The difference between the makers of Fox’s political programmes and the BBC is that the former believe they are in a battle of ideas while the latter genuinely thinks their beliefs are “the” default correct ones. That is why the BBC – which is still a first-class broadcaster – is so keen to respond to criticism of bias, because they really do not believe they are.

Yet bias it is, and the BBC remains the world’s largest echo chamber.