The British government is insane. They barred Pamela Geller and me from the country for speaking out against these things — so why fine DM Digital? They should turn over the BBC to the operators of DM Digital and be done with it.
Please contribute to our legal fund to overturn the unjust ban on Pamela Geller and me entering the UK here.
And sign the petition asking that the ban be overturned here.
“DM Digital fined £105,000 over speech that condoned murder for blasphemy,” by Josh Halliday for the Guardian, July 5:
A British TV channel has been fined £105,000 after it aired a live lecture by an Islamic scholar who allegedly advocated killing people who insult the prophet Muhammad.
Manchester-based station DM Digital, which describes itself as Britain’s most-watched Asian channel, broadcast the one-hour programme in Urdu in October 2011.
The Islamic scholar can be heard telling his audience: “I hail those who made this law [Pakistan’s blasphemy law] which states that one who insults the Prophet deserves to be killed — such a person should be eliminated.”
Ofcom’s English-language translation of his lecture suggest he also told viewers: “If someone takes a step in the love of the Prophet, then this is not terrorism.”
On Friday, the media regulator said it had fined DM Digital £85,000 for airing the scholar’s remarks and a further £20,000 for a separate programme. The channel has also been ordered to broadcast a statement by Ofcom.
Ofcom said: “The programme Rehmatul Lil Alameen featured a live lecture by an Islamic scholar, which included material that Ofcom considered was likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder.
“This was because, on a reasonable interpretation of the scholar’s remarks, Ofcom considered he was personally advocating that all Muslims had a duty to attack or kill apostates or those perceived to have insulted the Prophet.”
DM Digital last May became the first UK broadcaster censured by Ofcom for airing material “likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder”….