A House of Lords peer has quit Thought for the Day after 35 years in protest at the BBC claiming that some of his talks “might offend Muslims”.
Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon has accused BBC of “prejudice and intolerance” after he was prevented from broadcasting an item. The inter-faith activist wanted to commemorate the story of an executed Sikh Guru who had opposed the forced conversion of Hindus to Islam under the Mughal emperors of India in the 17th century. However, according to him, the BBC had tried to stop the script from being broadcasted last November fearing that “it might offend Muslims” and that the organisation was choosing to be “politically correct”. Yet, he insists that it never contained any criticism of Islam. He said,
“It was like saying to a Christian that he or she should not talk about Easter for fear of giving offence to the Jews,” he said.
However, when he threatened to leave the slot empty rather than have his religion’s teachings “insulted in this way”, the corporation let Lord Singh go ahead. Lord Singh was not told of any listeners being offended.
Lord Singh then filed an official complaint against the BBC and a review ordered by James Purnell which was rejected. He said,
“The need for sensitivity in talking about religious, political or social issues has now been taken to absurd proportions with telephone insistence on trivial textual changes right up to going into the studio, making it difficult to say anything worthwhile.
“The aim of Thought for the Day has changed from giving an ethical input to social and political issues to the recital of religious platitudes and the avoidance of controversy, with success measured by the absence of complaints. I believe Guru Nanak [the founder of Sikhism] and Jesus Christ, who boldly raised social concerns while stressing tolerance and respect, would not be allowed near Thought for the Day today.”
Lord Hall of Birkenhead, the BBC director-general, said he had every confidence in the slot and that Lord Singh might seek a solution using “the BBC’s complaints process”.
