BBC rethink on Prophet pictures

THE BBC is reviewing its guidelines on the depiction of the Prophet Mohammed on screen. The process has come to light after two BBC1 programmes discussing this week’s terrorist attacks in Paris contradicted each other over BBC policy.

In a report on BBC1’s News at Ten on Thursday, archive material was used showing Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, who was shot and killed on Wednesday.

He was holding a copy of the magazine featuring a cartoon of Mohammed threatening readers with ‘a hundred lashes if you don’t die laughing’.

However, on the following programme, BBC Question Time host David Dimbleby told viewers the corporation’s guidelines prohibited Mohammed being show on screen ‘in any form’. He read from the guidelines: ‘Due care and consideration must be made regarding the use of religious symbols in images which may cause offence.

‘The Prophet Mohammed must not be represented in any shape or form.’

The presenter even posted the document on to the show’s Twitter feed for its 274,000 followers to read for themselves. However, it has now been removed from the BBC website. A spokesman for the corporation insisted the guidelines, believed to be from 2010, are out of date.

He added: ‘This guidance does not reflect the BBC’s long-standing position that programme makers have freedom to exercise their editorial judgment with the editorial policy team available to provide advice around sensitive issues.’