BBC Apologists

It didn't take long to begin: Muslim terrorists are twarted hours away from committing mass murder of innocents and the BBC springs into action with a story on a scared community- the Muslim one.

And all around those homes [raided by police] there was an apprehensive, scared Muslim community.

They've got to be terrified of those international terrorists threatening to murder them in the name of Allah...um, is that right? I haven't got anything mixed up here have I?

First of all the BBC contacts a local shop owner who is appalled. He even stocks a pamphlet by an Islamic scholar which ponders whether or not bombing and wreaking havoc are justifiable-

Its 26 pages are dense, hard-going Islamic scripture - but the message is there; these are "shameful acts" that have no justification in Islam.

Well, that's all right then isn't it? For a moment there I was beginning to get worried that there might be some sort of global cult of killers inspired by ancient texts to justify their murderous appetites. I wonder how long it took the reporter to read and digest this "dense" text? He did read it obviously, because he's fit to comment on the contents. Right? And, is it just me or are there no Christian or Buddhist texts which have to question such issues? Hmm, I wonder if there could be some hidden message there for us?

And that's not the worst of it- the BBC is quick to interview the best friend of one of the men arrested, pointing out that he's a social, integrated kind of guy- obviously quite innocent of all charges against him. Heck, they even interview a former teacher of Waheed Zaman who is also convinced that the poor chap is totally innocent-

I've taught for 48 years and he would be one I would remember as a good kid.

Can't get a better character reference than that, can you? But the intrepid BBC doesn't stop there! Not content with trying to convince readers that it's all been a big mistake to arrest Zaman, they go on to visit the local mosque to guage opinion there.

Many were quick to express their frustration - not just at the arrests and a sense of being targeted, but also at what they saw as to blame: foreign policy.

While the real local problems may be poverty, education or unemployment, it was Britain's perceived role in the US's Middle East policy that made people angry.

"Muslims are getting it everywhere and if you want to know why these things happen then you've got to ask yourselves questions about why Britain is fighting in Muslim lands," said one young well-mannered man.

See, it's not the fault of the murderous terrorists who want nothing more than to kill innocent people- it's all down to Britain's foreign policy. If only we'd do what those blood-thirsty savages want then there wouldn't be all this trouble.