C ST reports TV channel over antisemitic comments
VOFCOM HAS been urged to investigate an Islamic TV channel’s recent interviews with two guests who appeared to blame the Jewish people for antisemitism.
Guest speaker Clive Menzies said during a programme broadcast by Ahlebait TV last month that antisemitism was a “Jewish creation”.
“It’s worth just noting that antisemitism was created by Theodore Herzl at the back end of the 19th century in order to frighten and create the circumstances that would encourage Jews to migrate to Israel so antisemitism is actually a Jewish creation,” he said.
Another guest on the programme, David Musa Pidcock, said antisemitism came “from debt, not cancelling the debt and usury”.
The Community Security Trust (CST) lodged a formal complaint with Ofcom about the programme aired on 21 March and entitled Money Power, Islam and a Just Order.
CST policy director Dave Rich said he hoped the regulator will investigate and punish the broadcaster.
“Antisemites have always claimed that the historic persecution of Jews is somehow justified as a response to Jewish behaviour, but to find this despicable suggestion broadcast so blatantly on a UK TV channel, without any challenge or response, is truly appalling,” he said.
Ofcom told the JC on Wednesday it was “assessing the complaint against our broadcasting rules” but that it was “yet to decide whether or not to investigate”.
Ahlebait TV did not return a request for comment.
The channel says on its website that it offers “alternative news reports from around the world, religious documentaries, lectures, current affairs and entertainment programming with an Islamic perspective”.
Menzies said, ‘antisemitism is actually a Jewish creation’