Channel 4 has come under fire for “pandering to racial stereotypes” after producers painted a white woman brown to experience life as a Muslim.
This “blacking up” and exaggeration of facial features by Channel 4 is nothing more than the common attempt to racialize the religion of Islam, but it backfired on Channel 4, angering the very people it was meant to appease, including the discredited “Islamophobia” watchdog Tell Mama:
The concept has sparked a furious race row, with hate crime charity Tell Mama saying it “crosses a line” and is “offensive” to Muslims.
“The most offensive bit is the gross exaggeration of features of the face, and that blurs the line, pandering to stereotypes of race and religion actually,” Fiyaz Mughal, founder of Tell Mama, told The Independent.
Racism against blacks in Islam is a big problem, and that is likely the real core of this “furious race row.” But critical to this story is the ongoing drive to cast Islam as a race in the public arena in order to create an us-versus-them victimology narrative.
Islam is a religious doctrine. Until “Islamophobia” propagandists began claiming that to criticize Islam was “racist,” every religion was always exposed to open discussion and scrutiny without fear of branding and reprisals.
Recall also that so-called feminist leader Linda Sarsour stated: “When I wasn’t wearing hijab I was just some ordinary white girl from New York City.” But once she donned the hijab, Sarsour began taking on her self-proclaimed role of “inspiring young people of color like me, to show them their potential.”
“Channel 4 sparks furious race row after ‘blacking up’ white woman so she can ‘live as a Muslim’ for a week in new show”, by Lucy Pasha-Robinson, UK Independent, October 18, 2017:
Channel 4 has come under fire for “pandering to racial stereotypes” after producers painted a white woman brown to experience life as a Muslim.
Katie Freeman went “undercover” as a British Pakistani Muslim for the programme My Week as a Muslim, wearing a hijab and prosthetics to make her nose bigger.
She is heard admitting in the trailer that she normally “wouldn’t want to sit next to” a Muslim “in case they blow something up”.
The concept has sparked a furious race row, with hate crime charity Tell Mama saying it “crosses a line” and is “offensive” to Muslims.
“The most offensive bit is the gross exaggeration of features of the face, and that blurs the line, pandering to stereotypes of race and religion actually,” Fiyaz Mughal, founder of Tell Mama, told The Independent.
“They did not have to do the ‘blacking up’. You could have taken somebody who is willing to talk to Muslims but in that journey experienced what Muslims experience by shadowing, using a secret camera, listening to what happens around women’s role in Islam, this could have been done without pandering to some quite silly 1920s stereotypes.”
Mr Mughal accepted the premise was “coming from a positive place”, but added the manner in which it was executed was “offensive”.
“You can still make it really interesting for the public you don’t have to end up doing something quite covert and unsettling and racial that has crossed the line,” he said…….
Yoda Dunbar says
I just don’t understand what is wrong with these people and our Gov’ts, Muslimes raped and beheaded all the way to Europe, got to Germany, mass rapes, boys girls young old doesn’t matter, hold signs behead anyone insulting their faggot of a prophet or Islam, Cops here in Oz saying we will charge anyone saying negatives about Muslimes, Gov’ts around the World like here pay Muslimes twice the amount an Aussie gets on welfare, other Nations give them free everything, even evicting their own citizens to accommodate these invading parasites
The only thing I can think of, is they are getting huge payments from the Saudis etc, as no sane person would do an Obama and bend down and kiss their smelly camel arse.
Aussie media are in love with them, will attack anyone saying boo about them every day Aussies just won’t see them for who and what they are, an invading species like they did in the days of the last Mahdi
PaulM says
Well Yoda, you hit the nail right on the head. Saudi Arabia has spend billion of dollars worldwide, buying the land and building virtually every mosque outside of their own country. I fully agree with you, “Money talks and bullshit walks.” I truly believe that these leftists politicians are getting millions of dollars from the Saudis dumped into their offshore accounts. NO OTHER EXPLANATION MAKES ANY SENSE WHATSOEVER. No human being on this planet would sell out their own countrymen and subject them to this fascist disease unless they were getting tens of millions of dollars to do so. The only other reason is power, and as we know that “power” would never go to them anyway, but to the muslim scum that are soon to overtake their respective countries.
Robeaver says
Trillions. T.
Yoda Dunbar says
Pathetic isn’t it, and we voted for them, my old Man, Grandad and two brothers went to War for this Country, and now our leaders are surrendering to this invasion and embracing the invaders
carpediadem says
The Left want them to control and intimidate their enemies, what’s so hard to understand about that?
John Forbes says
AUSTRALIA NEEDS TO SUPPORT PAULINE HANSON & GET HER TO EXPOSE JACK ASSES LIKE HANSON YOUNG & RATENBURY AS APOLOGISTS & DEMAND THAT THEY RECITE PASSAGES FROM THE KORAN STATING ABUSE & SEE HOW THAT IS DEFENDED !
DEMAND THAT THEY ALL STOP THE STUPID RECITALS – ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF PEACE & IT IS A GREAT FAITH & VIOLENCE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ISLAM !
CALL OUT THE NASTY VERSES & THEY ARE NOT COMPARABLE TO OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE VERSES AS THESE HAVE NOT BEEN QUOTED FOR OVER 100 YEARS OR MORE !
TURDBULL NEEDS HIS ASS FIRMLY BOOTED ALONG WITH WALEED THE WANKER & CARR THE TWIT & LIAR !
EVEN LISTENING TO THIS LOT MAKES ONE WANT TO VOMIT !!
Yoda Dunbar says
John Forbes
Totally agree, I have been trying for ages, but the sheeple just prefer to remain asleep, the old saying Aussies are laid back and easy going, will now come and haunt our Children and Grandkids, daughter a few trs ago was at a Pool where people with spinal injuries go to rehab, One day she had our 6 yr old Grand daughter there, and this Paki came up and started chatting and saying beautiful she was etc, when our Son In law told me, I said you do know he was seeing her as a target either for marriage or rape, and since them I have been sending him all the truth about Muslims, he is on board with the Wife and I, daughter still doesn’t get it, though, tries to see the best in all ppl, which is ok for Humans, I don’t consider them as humans, more subhuman with what they do
Pauline is great, but pushing shyte uphill with our media and two party preferences
Mark Tisch says
What happened to Australia? I had always looked up to Australians as fun-loving, take-no-crap bad asses. Somehow some of your countrymen have run out of testosterone (same here in the U.S. no doubt).
Yoda Dunbar says
Mark Tisch The laid back attitude we have can be our downfall, like you guys, when push comes to shove, Aussies will rise up and the muzzies will never know what hot them, am hoping the same for you guys and the old British Bulldog in the UK
Many know as well, the law and the Govt ( and will be arrested), let alone the ANTIFA types love Muslimes, our lefties here want open borders as well
They need to listen to that snake tale from Trump
IRONKRAFT says
We must have an intelligent revolution. The Serpent’s head must be removed by “Trained Hands”.
Yoda Dunbar says
An intelligent revolution, I like that, like Hydra from agents of SHIELD, there are many heads to this snake, Cops, Gov’ts, Media and all the apologists will do everything they can to protect this snake
Jayell says
“They did not have to do the ‘blacking up’. You could have taken somebody who is willing to talk to Muslims but in that journey experienced what Muslims experience by shadowing, using a secret camera, listening to what happens around women’s role in Islam, this could have been done without pandering to some quite silly 1920s stereotypes”
So all these muslims are going to be totally frank and honest if you speak to them, are they? Coming from the founder of ‘Tell Mama’, with its track record of lies and distortion so bad that the Government had to break communications with it, this would be a bit of a stretch of the imagination. Experience suggests that by not concealing your non-muslim identity when attempting to communicate with muslims you are liable to get highly ‘edited’ information in return. Likewise, shadowing these people without total concealment you’re likely to get a few staged scenarios. Maybe that’s what Mughal is bothered about – not being able to indulge in a bit of underhand manipulation. He surely fails to realise that we’re not as green as we’re cabbage-looking and we know enough about his ‘faith’ by now to realise that ‘truth’ for a muslim is a somewhat malleable commodity. By the way, why does Mughal think that the ‘stereotypical’ image presented by this blacked-up female is outdated and relevant to only about 100 years ago? Does he believe that he and his ilk somehow represent a face of typical modern Britain? That would seem to chime with a fairly recent survey of muslims in the UK who thought the country was 75% muslim! If that’s so, dear oh dear, these people really are living in their nice little Islamic cloud cuckoo-land, no doubt replete with the 72 virgins enlisted from the streets of Rotherham. And Bradford. And Oxford. And Keighley. And……..
Jayell says
Sorry, I forgot. There was some material obtained from concealed cameras in mosques that showed ‘what muslims experience’. It was used in a court case, and it showed an imam physically abusing children during one of their education sessions. Well, no doubt the imam and the mosque authorities thought is was ‘education’.
Yoda Dunbar says
And our leaders approve of Imamas giving lectures on how to beat your wife and child, beat child like you would a dog One said here a few yrs back, and public outcry, all that happened is my comments were removed from Nine MSN
Annette says
How about another idea. Let’s send someone from Channel 4 to live in Iran for a year or two. That will be a better showing of understanding the true Islam that people live under, not the facade. I lived in a Yemeni neighborhood for awhile. If you live among people different from you, you need to adjust. If you are living under a religion that is evil, you should look for truth elsewhere. That is just what it happening.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
“wearing a hijab and prosthetics to make her nose bigger”
Unfortunately, the linked-to article does not include a photo of these nasal prosthetics nor reveal at which fashion retailers they can be bought. Do Muslims really have bigger noses than kafirs? Do these nasal prosthetics come in both Muslim and Jewish sizes? Which size is bigger? Are there kafir-size prosthetic noses for Muslims who want to “go undercover”?
Robeaver says
Only the brown shadow knows. My dad had a honker. Maybe he was Muslim. He worked for UPS. Grandad wore a brown shirt in 1934.
Why not just her jab her.?
Eur says
We,westerns are nazis,we should not protest when Muslims say that we are immoral, decadent … and they are here to put order and establish sharia. Protesting would be racist and Islamophobic. Meanwhile … in societies where Muslims are majority …. they apply the roller and do not let there different opinions, applies the dogma of Islamic faith …. Disgusting. We hate ourselves and desire the destruction of the civilization of freedom. We will have what we deserve for not defending ourselves.
John W says
Maybe they can go to Saudi Arabia next, for example, and have the person dress like a typical Western girl. Wear a skirt, some heels, lovely long hair, etc. And lets see what its like.
David G. says
good one
Yoda Dunbar says
Won’t happen, she would be in prison or raped to death
steve says
Life in general is offensive to Muslims…the remedy is simple..and in your own hands….Knife, anybody ??
Robeaver says
We can help them poor muzzles. Send them sharpening stones! Unless used for testicular area. Then send a plain rock. I,have an old,rusty butter knife. Free to a good home
Japetto Donatelli says
It’s too bad we can’t dress up a muslim and let them see things from our perspective…
…we could show what it’s like to be an average “infidel” who doesn’t model their life around the dictates of a hateful demon but who has to suffer the consequences of those that do. We could have hidden cameras with various scenarios and see what happens. For example, she/he could be walking down the street and get blown up, or stabbed, or shot, or beaten, by some muslims conducting jihad for their fascist religion. We could dress our experimental muslim as a young infidel boy or girl and let them get raped by some horny muslim men, or they could be a Christian or Jew who gets driven from their home because muslims hate their religious freedom… maybe then we too could garner sympathy for our thoughts and feelings on the matter. But this is an impossible experiment, we’re not willing to mimic the murderous terror and intimidation of muslims.
We’re experiencing a new sweeping phenomenon in western society where hate and bigotry have become more valued than freedom and good morals. We got leaders in every area of life defending islam like it’s a good thing to be honored even though it’s explicitly hateful and violent against us. And the people who live that violent and aggressive creed are an accurate reflection of what it stands for, with their gross disrespect for our culture, laws, and humanity. And I’m not talking trash here, we see the sneaky tactics of CAIR, and we all know about the mass raping, the enclaves, their threatening doctrines, the sharia councils, they actually tell us they’re going to conquer us to our faces. But if we dare talk about this threat to our freedoms and safety we’re slandered as racists by our own government and threatened with reprisals like jail. It’s become a crime to offer a social or moral opinion, or to be patriotic and concerned about crime for religion. Our governments are transforming into theocracies for an ignorant and violent superstition, and the media is helping them do it.
This little dog and pony show by channel 4 does nothing to address the epidemic violence and bigotry of islam. It’s just an attempt to feed the false narrative that muslims are victims of race hate and to distract from the larger issue of islamic jihad that is killing us and our freedoms. This “social experiment” was so distasteful that even Tell Mama was insulted. The media is so anxious to defend islam they’re tripping over their own feet with embarrassing displays of bigotry and bias like they did here. There’s not even a pretense of objective reporting anymore, they’re blatant propagandists for islam. Just like the media of Nazi Germany, our media too is in the hands of tyrants with malicious intent.
LeftisruiningCanada says
“we could show what it’s like to be an average “infidel” who doesn’t model their life around the dictates of a hateful demon but who has to suffer the consequences of those that do. We could have hidden cameras with various scenarios and see what happens. For example, she/he could be walking down the street and get blown up, or stabbed, or shot, or beaten, by some muslims conducting jihad for their fascist religion. We could dress our experimental muslim as a young infidel boy or girl and let them get raped by some horny muslim men, or they could be a Christian or Jew who gets driven from their home because muslims hate their religious freedom…”
They can just watch the news at six….
Japetto Donatelli says
They can just watch the news at six….
Perfect. You couldn’t have finalized the point any better.
Robeaver says
Yes it could, forgot newfy time.
LeftisruiningCanada says
“This “social experiment” was so distasteful that even Tell Mama was insulted. The media is so anxious to defend islam they’re tripping over their own feet with embarrassing displays of bigotry and bias like they did here. There’s not even a pretense of objective reporting anymore, they’re blatant propagandists for islam. Just like the media of Nazi Germany, our media too is in the hands of tyrants with malicious intent.”
Yep, was probably done on purpose to play the race card and encourage one more little bit of sympathy for the poor abused jihadi.
C4 always was just another lefty shill pretending to be something else.
And yes, just for the nufies (all 7 of them), the 6.30 news would work just as well.
Bob Smyth says
Where were the “cultural appropriation” zealots?
For Muslims, there appears to be an infinite number of things that “crosses a line” and/or is “offensive” to Muslims.
St. Manuel II Palaiologos says
Left-wing racists who want to make opposition to Islam racist, when it’s just based on facts, history and reality.
LeftisruiningCanada says
True. Its too bad that race and islam have become so intertwined and confused in the UK (and elsewhere), but it’s hardly surprising given that most muslims in the UK are in actual fact 1st – 4th generation asian immigrants.
The association is understandable, but we have to get past the idea that opposition to a nasty set of beliefs is really a cover for deep seated white supremacism…..i blame it on the deconstructionism of post modern ways of thinking.
PRCS says
“Katie Freeman went “undercover” as a British Pakistani Muslim for the programme My Week as a Muslim, wearing a hijab and prosthetics to make her nose bigger.
Under cover of makeup and a fake nose.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
I wonder if she got the chance to work at a bomb making facility in the basement of a house in East London. Life as a Moslem involves many activities, so she should have gone full bore.
PRCS says
Given enough time, I imagine the BBC could have set that up for her.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
I’ve understood for decades that, to fill the air time left void by avoiding so many issues, British TV is forced to resort to doing silly things. But hey, what’s the hurry on the Islam thing, after all before too many decades all Brits will be able to experience life as a Moslem.
Halal Bacon says
BBC already did an expose on being muslim…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKL9b5-DL4A
Andy says
This is more from the loony bin of the mentally disordered liberals.
For all you old timers out there maybe we should give UK’s Channel 4 producers the Jimmy Durante award for the big nose prosthetic and what if the UK’s Channel 4 producers painted a black Muslim white to experience life as a Caucasian?
Liberalism gone amok
Andy says
Jimmy Durante oh, what a Schnozzola!!!
CHA CHA CHA CHA!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxZxwr946MM
Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.
Guest says
You’d think after the Brexit the UK were finally understanding the the world
mortimer says
Christine’s article is all correct, but I would like to point out that Islam is also a POLITICAL IDEOLOGY.
PROOF?
1) the Islamic calendar begins with the founding of the POLITICAL ENTITY of the Islamic empire.
2) the name ‘ME-DINA’ means the PLACE OF THE GOVERNMENT or THE CAPITAL.
3) over 60% of Muslims agree that they need a CALIPHATE (a universal Islamic dictator who will subjugate the kafirs)
4) the Pakistan government has a branch called the Council of ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY.
5) Koran 9.33 calls for subjugation: He it is Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse.
Lydia says
This in itself is racist!
It assumes that all “muslims” are “brown” people!
Utterly idiotic!!!
But… not surprising.
What’s next? Will they assume that all Christians are “white”?
Even more excuse for white haters to rear their ugly heads then…
All hindus are “blue”? All buddhists are “yellow”?
All Jews are “olive”? All native tribalists are “red”?
All pagans are “green” and all occultists “purple”?
I would not put it past them.
Alan says
There are those who believe Muhammad’s beard is for the fondling.
Anne Smith says
A year ago there was an undercover reporter (a Muslima) who did a brilliant programme on the recruitment and indoctrination of Muslim women to assist ISIS and go out to fight.
The filming showed the wife of Anjem Chouday (a now jailed Muslim inciter of riots and anti British rhetoric) invoking young Muslim women to support ISIS and explaining that they will triumph as Allah will not fail them.They were meeting in state funded halls and recruiting at street stalls. Disgusting.
The filming was quite nerve wracking, one worried about the young reporter who was rumbled towards the end but managed to get out. It was a very revealing programme and received wide press coverage.
I have not seen the latest one but it is obviously not in the same class.
gravenimage says
UK’s Channel 4 “producers painted a white woman brown to experience life as a Muslim”
……………….
More stupid conflating of race and creed.
But now these tools are in trouble because a white person was ‘appropriating the experience of a person of color’. Hoist on their own stupid petard…