Post by Teddy Bear on Aug 20, 2008 21:13:56 GMT
I started this particular section of the forum to show how BBC reporting actually increases the likelihood of militant Islamic terrorism. Until I read the following article I never thought that the BBC would actually financially be supporting it, but it appears that it has.
BBC's Children in Need funded 7/7 terrorist propaganda, says Newsnight
Thousands of pounds raised by Britons for the BBC’s Children in Need charity could have been used to recruit and train the homegrown terrorists involved in the 7/7 terror attacks on London.
By Christopher Hope and Duncan Gardham
Last Updated: 10:21AM BST 20 Aug 2008
Children in Need's chief Executive David Ramsden told Newsnight: I'm incredibly concerned that we did make an award to Leeds Community School over nine years ago Photo: PA
Some of the cash could also have been used to fund the propaganda activities of the suicide bombers who killed 52 people in July 2005, according to an investigation by BBC 2’s Newsnight.
The programme reported that £20,000 from Children in Need was handed over to the Leeds Community School, in Beeston, Yorkshire between 1999 and 2002.
The school, which also received large sums from other public bodies, was run from premises behind the Iqra Islamic bookshop which the gang used as a meeting place and an opportunity to radicalise others.
One former worker described those that attended the bookshop as a kind of “brotherhood.”
Both Mohammed Sidique Khan, the leader of the bombers, and Shehzad Tanweer, the Aldgate bomber, were trustees of the bookshop and Sidique Khan also worked for a Saturday club at the associated Leeds Community School.
Sidique Khan ran outward bound adventure courses in north Wales which were used to recruit and radicalise young Muslim men.
Both the bookshop and the school were registered charities – the bookshop claimed, on Charity Commission submissions, that its aim was “the advancement of the Islamic faith”, while the school’s aim was said to be to “advance the education…of Pakistani and Bangladeshi” pupils.
They handed out DVDs and books about Bosnia and Chechnya and held Arabic classes in a back room, attended by Jermaine Lindsay, who went on to become the Kings Cross bomber.
They also produced a leaflet in the wake of September 11 blaming the attacks on a Jewish conspiracy.
A flavour for the books was revealed when police raided the home of Khalid Khaliq last year and found much of the remaining stock from the bookshop.
Titles included Zaad-e-Mujahid [essential provision for holy fighters] and The Absent Obligation, a book about jihad [holy war] as well as 250 copies of a booklet called the War on Terrorism, the Final Crusade.
Khaliq, 34, a close friend of Sidique Khan, is currently serving a 16-month sentence for possessing a document useful for terrorism.
The Conservatives said that charities and other public bodies had to be careful that they were not exploited by potential terrorists trying to raise money.
Patrick Mercer MP said: “It is very easy to lambast ‘Children in Need’ for this. But the terrorists will use anything to raise money for their cause so we have to be extremely careful about approaches from groups which may be fronts for terrorism.
“We must never be complacent about that terrorists operate. Worthy causes can be misled by potential terrorists.”
Glyn Gaskarth, policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, added: “It beggars belief that a charity promoted at licence fee payers’ expense paid money to dubious organisations without ensuring they did not have extremist links.
“People imagine their money goes to genuine good causes, not to organisations apparently frequented by fanatics.
“There needs to be proper checks and balances in place to make sure no other grants are being given to places peddling extremist views.”
Children in Need’s chief Executive David Ramsden told Newsnight: “I’m incredibly concerned that we did make an award to Leeds Community School over nine years ago.
“Any allegation that any funding we’ve given to any project has been misused and not used to change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people makes me concerned and very sad.
“We take the trust that the public puts in BBC Children In Need and the fact that they provide us with their finding extremely seriously and I’m incredibly concerned.
“I can reassure the British public that we are very careful in who we fund and this allegation is a very rare one for us but one that causes a great deal of concern.”
Last night Mr Ramsden said: “The small grants made by BBC Children In Need to Leeds Community School were given in good faith in 1998 and 1999.
“Although this is a serious matter, we have not seen any evidence that the money they received was used for terrorist activity. If BBC Children In Need has been a victim of fraud in this case, it will be a matter for the police.
“BBC Children In Need distributes more than £30m in grants every year, benefiting children and young people in the UK. CIN exercise the utmost care in distributing the public’s money.”
Thousands of pounds raised by Britons for the BBC’s Children in Need charity could have been used to recruit and train the homegrown terrorists involved in the 7/7 terror attacks on London.
By Christopher Hope and Duncan Gardham
Last Updated: 10:21AM BST 20 Aug 2008
Children in Need's chief Executive David Ramsden told Newsnight: I'm incredibly concerned that we did make an award to Leeds Community School over nine years ago Photo: PA
Some of the cash could also have been used to fund the propaganda activities of the suicide bombers who killed 52 people in July 2005, according to an investigation by BBC 2’s Newsnight.
The programme reported that £20,000 from Children in Need was handed over to the Leeds Community School, in Beeston, Yorkshire between 1999 and 2002.
The school, which also received large sums from other public bodies, was run from premises behind the Iqra Islamic bookshop which the gang used as a meeting place and an opportunity to radicalise others.
One former worker described those that attended the bookshop as a kind of “brotherhood.”
Both Mohammed Sidique Khan, the leader of the bombers, and Shehzad Tanweer, the Aldgate bomber, were trustees of the bookshop and Sidique Khan also worked for a Saturday club at the associated Leeds Community School.
Sidique Khan ran outward bound adventure courses in north Wales which were used to recruit and radicalise young Muslim men.
Both the bookshop and the school were registered charities – the bookshop claimed, on Charity Commission submissions, that its aim was “the advancement of the Islamic faith”, while the school’s aim was said to be to “advance the education…of Pakistani and Bangladeshi” pupils.
They handed out DVDs and books about Bosnia and Chechnya and held Arabic classes in a back room, attended by Jermaine Lindsay, who went on to become the Kings Cross bomber.
They also produced a leaflet in the wake of September 11 blaming the attacks on a Jewish conspiracy.
A flavour for the books was revealed when police raided the home of Khalid Khaliq last year and found much of the remaining stock from the bookshop.
Titles included Zaad-e-Mujahid [essential provision for holy fighters] and The Absent Obligation, a book about jihad [holy war] as well as 250 copies of a booklet called the War on Terrorism, the Final Crusade.
Khaliq, 34, a close friend of Sidique Khan, is currently serving a 16-month sentence for possessing a document useful for terrorism.
The Conservatives said that charities and other public bodies had to be careful that they were not exploited by potential terrorists trying to raise money.
Patrick Mercer MP said: “It is very easy to lambast ‘Children in Need’ for this. But the terrorists will use anything to raise money for their cause so we have to be extremely careful about approaches from groups which may be fronts for terrorism.
“We must never be complacent about that terrorists operate. Worthy causes can be misled by potential terrorists.”
Glyn Gaskarth, policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, added: “It beggars belief that a charity promoted at licence fee payers’ expense paid money to dubious organisations without ensuring they did not have extremist links.
“People imagine their money goes to genuine good causes, not to organisations apparently frequented by fanatics.
“There needs to be proper checks and balances in place to make sure no other grants are being given to places peddling extremist views.”
Children in Need’s chief Executive David Ramsden told Newsnight: “I’m incredibly concerned that we did make an award to Leeds Community School over nine years ago.
“Any allegation that any funding we’ve given to any project has been misused and not used to change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people makes me concerned and very sad.
“We take the trust that the public puts in BBC Children In Need and the fact that they provide us with their finding extremely seriously and I’m incredibly concerned.
“I can reassure the British public that we are very careful in who we fund and this allegation is a very rare one for us but one that causes a great deal of concern.”
Last night Mr Ramsden said: “The small grants made by BBC Children In Need to Leeds Community School were given in good faith in 1998 and 1999.
“Although this is a serious matter, we have not seen any evidence that the money they received was used for terrorist activity. If BBC Children In Need has been a victim of fraud in this case, it will be a matter for the police.
“BBC Children In Need distributes more than £30m in grants every year, benefiting children and young people in the UK. CIN exercise the utmost care in distributing the public’s money.”