The Channel 4 Brush Off

I have received a reply to my Furious post from Channel 4, apparently from a Max Whitman


Thank you for contacting Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries.

We felt it fitting that the Alternative Christmas Message should be from a British Muslim woman in a year in which issues of religious and racial identity and freedom of expression have dominated the news agenda.

If you require further information, feel free to email me back or visit http://help.channel4.com/tv.

Max Whitman
Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries


How noble! Freedom of expression! Here's my reply for what it's worth


Dear Mark,

With respect, please answer the questions. Most of the British public think it is far from "fitting". This brush off really is quite outrageous. Channel 4 did not publish the Mohammed Cartoons or Theo Van Gogh's Submission film. These have been far more prominent on the news and the "freedom of expression" agenda.

It's easy pickings to offend non-Muslims. If you really want to talk about freedom of speech you should be giving a voice to moderate muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq who are being slaughtered by religious fascists whilst walking to school, or those women in Iran who get beaten by religious authorities for demonstrating for equal rights.

Or perhaps all those British Muslims who have come out in opposition to the burqa and the niqab in Britian, and those normal Muslism who don’t go and pray in the mosque every week, and sometimes even, mix with strangers of the opposite sex.

Channel 4 seems to be consistently presenting the case for literalist and extremist Islam. When will Channel 4 embrace the real moderates? It seems Channel 4 is trying to be controversial. It has certainly achieved that, but it has consistently played the safe bet of offending non-Muslims only.

I await your answers with anticipation.