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UK's Muslim TV: Wives must not refuse sex with spouse
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor25 Mar 2010
Britain's leading Muslim TV channel was accused of encouraging “marital rape” and promoting other intolerant views of women in a report on extremism published today.
The report by think tank Quillam says that the London-based Islam Channel broadcast comments saying that “the idea a woman cannot refuse her husband relations” was “not strange” and was instead part of “maintaining a strong marriage”.
It says that the channel also broadcast advice that a wife should not leave her home without her husband's permission and that a woman who wears perfume in public is a prostitute.
The think tank, which is calling for an investigation by broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, also accuses the channel of advertising talks by al Qaeda-supporting preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, who is alleged to have inspired failed Detroit bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, and of giving a platform to other extremist Islamists.
The report, which was based on an analysis of broadcasts over three months, also states that Islam Channel's programmes have undermined trust between community groups by airing hostile comments about non-Muslims and those who follow alternative versions of Islam.
The channel's website says that it aims “to present the Islamic viewpoint and values” and provide “authoritative and impartial Islamic information”. It aims to act as an “interface” between Muslims and non-Muslims and remove misconceptions about the religion.
But Talal Rajab, the report's author, said the programmes regularly promoted an “intolerant and out-of-date” form of Islam with unacceptable views. He said: “It is the most-watched Muslim TV channel in the UK. During the three-month period that we monitored its output, it repeatedly promoted bigoted and reactionary views towards women, non-Muslims and other Muslim sects.
“Although the channel does not directly call for terrorist violence, it clearly helps to create an atmosphere in which religiously-sanctioned intolerance and even hatred might be seen as acceptable.
"By promoting a single narrow version of Islam, Saudi Wahhabism, the Islam Channel is wasting an enormous opportunity to positively shape the nature of Islam in Britain.”
Among the comments highlighted by the report were those by a guest on the programme Muslimah Dilemma on whether a wife should always agree to sex with her husband.
The guest said “it is a bit strange... to refuse relations. It would harm a marriage. The idea that a woman, even if married, can refuse relations with her husband because of individual choice'... is part of the Western culture, but not Islam.”
There was concern about the religious advice programme IslamiQA, in which viewers were told “the majority of people in the hell will be women” because they are the cause of “calamities, hardship and suffering” in Western society. The same presenter tells viewers that if a woman wears perfume in public and it is smelt by a stranger “then she is declared a prostitute”.
The privately funded Islam Channel, which launched in 2004, has already been found by Ofcom to have breached the broadcasting code on impartiality during elections, and for broadcasting an unbalanced programme about the ownership of Jerusalem.
Reader views (15)
you brits are too funny:D:D
your economy is already dead. 200 more years and there is no british person on the island and we germans can get there:D
too funny.
- Martin, Deutschland, 11/04/2010 01:18
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wheres all the human rights orgs when you need them
- Carla Mcinnis, bristol, 26/03/2010 16:20
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why can a muslim man have 4 wives but a woman can,t have 4 husband simples
- Lorne, derby, 26/03/2010 09:20
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@Lindona, italy
You say:
"I don't know how england has managed to find itself in this situation,in the sixties we fought for sexual freedom but now we put up with this type of thing."
My resposne:
"It is simply the stupid Left, nothing else. The Muslims are happy with them."
- Agnostiker, Frankfurt, Germany, 26/03/2010 08:17
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common catholic priests abused children for the last century but it was all about them and not the catholic faith or christianity, when it come to islam we all become expert
do we really know what was said and on what context? i guess not alot of us, especially non muslim like who dont even know the existence of this channel
- James O'Hara, ealing, london, 25/03/2010 21:30
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Ibn Adam - You write that:
"Islam is founded on equal treatment of men and women. Western values, use women as objects to sell products, a woman is paid less for doing the same job as men."
Last time I looked Islam rewards its martyrs with 72 virgins. Is that not using women to sell the product of martyrdom?
Likewise, how many male toyboys will women martyrs get in the afterlife? Will they get 72 as well? That, you must agree, would be only fair.
- London Lurcher, Tower Hamlets, London, 25/03/2010 16:58
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Comments are subjective and extracts can be interpreted in various ways to suit the need of the author.
Islam is founded on equal treatment of men and women. Western values, use women as objects to sell products, a woman is paid less for doing the same job as men.
Islam is perfect, the Prophets Moses, Jesus and Mohammad Peace be Upon them all are guides for all of mankind as are all the prophets.
Followers of Islam are not perfect and everyone makes mistakes.
Please do not judge a religion based on news articles and comments. And also do not judge a TV channel based on what an organisation that itself is founded by ex-extremists looking to get famous and get into the limelight.
- Ibn Adam, London, 25/03/2010 16:49
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Thanks for the moral equivalence, Paul
But Christianity is dying in the UK, whilst Islam is
marching forward. Then what?
- Bob, Ringwood, USA, 25/03/2010 15:55
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What a suprise(not)!
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London, 25/03/2010 13:55
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In fact all these so called 'community' TV channels that litter the airwaves are a damned nuisance. They create nothing but a hotbed of isolationism and trap communities in their little ghettos. Shut them all down, and get rid of all dthe sky dishes and Virgin cable and just stick to the 5 basic channels. You an get all the choice you can want from 5 channels.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 25/03/2010 13:22
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How can marital rape be encouraged when the punishment for rape in Islam is death? That's ridiculous. The Quilliam foundation needs to do a better job at identifying real problems, instead of misinterpreting something that was said on Islam Channel. Yes a woman is not supposed to refuse her husband sex without a reason and the man is not supposed to refuse his wife sex without a reason likewise because doing this would increase animosity between the couple.
- Fatima, London, 25/03/2010 12:31
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I don't know how england has managed to find itself in this situation,in the sixties we fought for sexual freedom but now we put up with this type of thing
- Lindona, italy, 25/03/2010 12:30
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I booked my en-suite in hell several years ago. Strangely whilst I was buying perfume. All done online, while I was at work out of the house, without a man's permission. What a risk taker am I.
- S-M Hearmon, London, UK, 25/03/2010 12:28
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Paul - the Christian B&B and this TV channel are 2 sides of the same coin. Neither has a place in an enlightened society.
- Alex, London, 25/03/2010 11:58
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Shut it down. If it was a Christian bed and breakfast it would have been shut down long ago.
- Paul, Rochester, 25/03/2010 11:36
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