Up next in 10
Mohammed Amin, Co-Chair of the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester, has criticised the BBC for using the term "reverts" in its recent Eid coverage.He insisted the broadcaster should have used the more widely understood term "converts".The controversy emerged after the BBC published an article about the Eid religious festival on Friday. READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Was this a mistake from the BBC, Mohammed
0:02
Good afternoon, Emily. Good afternoon. I think it's a mistake by the BBC because the BBC prides itself on high editorial standards
0:10
and it should not be using a term like reverts, which most of the country, frankly, would not understand in this context
0:19
It should have used the word converts, which everybody does understand. But is that the only problem
0:24
Because Tom Tugendhat, for example, the former security minister, conservative MP, He said the term is sectarianism and that it refers to ideology, not fact, because it's claiming we're all originally Muslim and that those who convert are rediscovering their faith
0:40
So it's not just about understanding, is it? It's also about offense, surely, Muhammad? No, it's about a fundamental part of Muslim religious belief
0:49
From memory, there is a hadith, a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him
0:54
that all babies are born with an inherent knowledge of God, but then it's their parents that bring them up in different religions
1:03
Now, if you're not a Muslim, you don't have to believe that. If you are a Muslim, most Muslims do believe that
1:09
But it's not ideology, it's not offensive, it's not controversial. People have religious beliefs
1:14
However, the BBC should not be writing things meant to be read by everybody in the country
1:21
which can only be understood by people who are familiar with that Muslim religious belief
1:26
OK, Mohammed Alman, thank you very much indeed. You're the chair of the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester
1:31
Appreciate your time this Sunday afternoon Let bring in my panel on this one because is this just an issue of understanding that most people who aren Muslim won understand what it means
1:42
or is it actually offensive? This story actually cuts really deep, and I think there's a lot to say about it
1:49
The first thing to say is I agree with what your guest just said
1:53
about babies being born with a knowledge of God and a relationship with God, because I'm a Christian myself
1:57
and I do believe that we have, as humans, morality etched into our hearts from birth
2:02
How romantic. Well, maybe. But we do have a relationship, all of us
2:07
whether we, you know, so quote-unquote believe in God or not, we all of us have a relationship with God
2:11
And so the idea that coming to faith is in some way returning to a state that you once existed in
2:15
I do actually think, again, as a Christian, I do think there is truth to that idea
2:19
But the use of it in this context, in an Islamic context, I think, speaks to the way in which our institutions
2:25
in the liberal West are failing to properly deal with the challenge that Islam as a creed brings up
2:32
because it is a very, well, it's a religion, right? And I think that secular states and secular organisations
2:38
do not understand religion. We saw this recently with some various stories of Easter being cancelled in various schools across the country
2:44
And that's because secular organisations and states view religion basically as being a costume that people wear
2:49
It's kind of a superficial thing that they don't really understand and they view as being kind of silly and kind of quaint
2:54
and kind of, you know, whatever. But it isn't that. It is a fundamental belief in the nature of morality and truth and beauty and the universe
3:01
And so the fact that the BBC has used the language of Islam is not insignificant because they are treating it as just being what I've just said, a kind of, you know, a superficial thing
#news
#Politics
#Religion & Belief
#Social Issues & Advocacy