Channel 4 cancels controversial screening of "Islam: The Untold Story" after presenter threatened

The UK's Channel 4 has cancelled a repeat screening of a controversial documentary on the history of Islam after its presenter was threatened.

Holland himself received countless angry message on Twitter, with some of them personally threatening.

One message sent to him read: “You might be a target in the streets. You may recruit some bodyguards, for your own safety.”

The Independent

Tom Holland, a historian defended the documentary, stating that Islam is “a legitimate subject of historical inquiry”.

'Islam: The Untold Story' investigated the origins of the religion, claiming there was little written evidence about the Prophet Mohammed and questioning the authenticity of many of the stories in the Koran.

It examined claims that rather than Islam's doctrine emerging fully-formed in a single text, the religion instead developed gradually over many years with the expansion of Arabic empires.

The Independent

Having sought security advice, Channel 4 has reluctantly decided to pull a scheduled repeat.

reply to post by ollncasino


It is interesting that threats have managed to prevent the showing of a repeat of the documentary, effectively enforcing a prohibition, in the United Kingdom, on the examination of such issues as the historical basis of Islam.

It should perhaps be noted that such a documentary if shown in a Muslim country would almost certainly result in criminal charges of blasphemy and prison sentences, if not worse.

Are these Muslims who threatened him ashamed of islams history?or are they scared it'll mess up mission creep' for them?
anyone who follows someone who had sex with a nine year old should be sectioned in my opinion.

reply to post by ollncasino


Same thing happened with South Park last year I believe it was.

Religious fanaticism is an ugly thing and it's sad that they actually pander to the demands of these people, or cancel screenings of documentaries especially. A cartoon show I can live with, but when it comes to providing actual information to people, I draw the line there.

~Tenth

On the other hand, such drama can be "manufactured" for a) entertainment value; b) increased viewership on release; and or c) to inflate the ego of the presenter who may be an attention whore....

Of course, none of the above may be true... I can't be certain why anyone would threaten someone over a historical piece without even seeing it.... but then.... show business logic often eludes me.

Available here:

www.youtube.com...

It is also available on Channel 4 OD.
www.channel4.com...

Censorship of this kind should not be allowed - if people don't like it they can always switch channels or turn the TV off.

TV executives should not allow themselves to be bullied by any pressure groups and should really have stood their ground.

And they want to rule the world?


How are they going to convert people if all they do is threaten?

Losers.

Originally posted by Maxmars

I can't be certain why anyone would threaten someone over a historical piece without even seeing it.... but then.... show business logic often eludes me.

The OP (in the first line) states that it was a repeat that was pulled, hence it would be logical to assume that the people threatening the presenter had indeed seen it.

Originally posted by ollncasino

Originally posted by Maxmars

I can't be certain why anyone would threaten someone over a historical piece without even seeing it.... but then.... show business logic often eludes me.

The OP (in the first line) states that it was a repeat that was pulled, hence it would be logical to assume that the people threatening the presenter had indeed seen it.

My bad... thanks!

Originally posted by Common Good
And they want to rule the world?

How are they going to convert people if all they do is threaten?

Losers.

They'll try to take the world over with force through intimidation and "laws" put into place by the PC police.

While i find it disgusting that he was threatened, and sad that C4 decided to pull the plug, I also feel that we need to be careful that this doesn’t turn into an Islamiphobic rant (as so often happens with cases such as this)

People get threatened for different opinions every day... even in things as trivial as sport. I have seen football fans threaten the lives of players who want to swap clubs or have performed badly. Yet I hear no one screaming that football is evil.

The people who made these threats are repugnant and backwards individuals... and that’s how this sorry issue should be discussed... targeting the individuals who do the threatening, not the religion, nationality, race etc of those individuals.

It’s getting late... hope that makes sense

Peace

This is why I just can't believe Islam is the religion of peace.

I'm sorry, but how am I supposed to ignore the fact that Muslims threaten people's lives over things like this? I don't see or understand how others can ignore and deny that this junk happens too.

Islam is not the religion of peace. Peaceful people do not threaten other people's lives for things like this. Peaceful people counter with reason and other verifiable sources to back up their claims and let other people decide what they want to believe, and let God be the judge.

Originally posted by EvilSadamClone
This is why I just can't believe Islam is the religion of peace.

I'm sorry, but how am I supposed to ignore the fact that Muslims threaten people's lives over things like this? I don't see or understand how others can ignore and deny that this junk happens too.

Islam is not the religion of peace. Peaceful people do not threaten other people's lives for things like this. Peaceful people counter with reason and other verifiable sources to back up their claims and let other people decide what they want to believe, and let God be the judge.

edit on 11-9-2012 by EvilSadamClone because: (no reason given)

Oh of course... because nobody else threatens people over their beliefs do they


Why do i bother

Channel 4 should have went ahead with the broadcast.

It's a sad day when this kind of thing happens.

These threats have been taken seriously because there have been fatal attacks made on European journalists in the past by Muslims for speaking about Islam in ways perceived as offensive.

I'm not anti Muslim, but to be honest these threats, these acts of violence and murder originate from no other religious groups in Europe.

We see this kind of thing all the time here. And being a person who believes in religious tolerance, I can still see how many are sick of hearing about how Muslims hate the west. I'm regrettably starting to view Islam with disdain, and I wish it were not so, but this kind of thing is going on all the time and there doesn't seem to be an answer to these problems other than letting the extremists have their way, which has happened in this case with Channel 4.

To the people who will come on here and say we shouldn't paint all Muslims as extremists, that there are only a small number of these bad people, I say to you go and take a walk through a Muslim neighborhood in Europe and see if you feel safe, especially if you are female. Or if your feeling suicidal, go to a Muslim neighborhood and say something bad about Islam.

So does this mean that the West is still in control of the situation?

Because right now, it would appear Islamic nations are calling all the shots.

they should of shown it, it is simple freedom of speech.

I have to point out that i do not see Christians acting in the same manner when their religion is dragged through the dirt, they may complain or launch a counter program or protest but that is about it, they do it peacefully.

issuing death threats and rioting and attacking people is an unacceptable way to act just because somebody gave their opinion or views on something you disagree with.

Originally posted by Common Good
And they want to rule the world?

How are they going to convert people if all they do is threaten?

Losers.

Yeah Im ashamed to be human as well or are you specifically meaning Muslims?

Just watching "Sunday Morning Live" and they were just talking about this... not sure how I missed it.

Channel 4 should not have cancelled it.

Then again, if it was going to get the presenter killed, perhaps they did the right thing.


This should NOT be allowed to happen.... people (ANY people, not only Muslims) cannot be allowed to bully and threaten to get their own way.

It's not right.

This is very wrong.

No news documentary should be cancelled due to threats emanating from a demented minority.

If necessary the director should have been assigned police protection and those threatening violence threats tracked down prosecuted.

A certain element of the muslim population needs to be made to grow up. Islam is the sulky teenager of the Monotheistic religions.