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MEND response to allegations by Andrew Gilligan on “Saudis fund hardline British TV station the Islam Channel” published on 18th November 2018

MEND response to allegations by Andrew Gilligan on “Saudis fund hardline British TV station the Islam Channel” published on 18th November 2018

Categories: Latest News

Monday November 19 2018

In this article, Andrew Gilligan stated; “Islam Channel broadcast a film last week claiming that the British government’s “Islamophobia . . . treats all Muslims as criminal” and alleging that a student’s home was “raided over a word googled for a worksheet”. The makers of the film, the Muslim lobby group Mend, admitted this weekend there was no basis for the claim.”

The video that Mr Gilligan is referring to is actually a creative poem by a Muslim poet illustrating her understandings, perceptions, and experiences. Having seen this he then asked us the question “We see that Mend has made a film claiming that a student has had “his home raided over a word Googled for a worksheet.Could you point us towards the source for this claim?

We invite readers to watch the video in question. This was a poem commissioned for Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM).

We contend that it is obvious that the poet is reciting her poem using artistic licence, and clearly not referring to a news story. For Mr Gilligan to suggest to his readers that the poem was referring to an actual event here is seriously misleading and should be corrected.

Is Mr Gilligan unable to distinguish fact from fiction, or does he take everything he reads, sees, and hears literally?

In which case, could he tell us how many steps the stairway to heaven has?

Or can he confirm exactly how one can make a reservation at the Hotel California?

Perhaps we should also point out to him that when Maya Angelou declared; “I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide”, she was not actually claiming to be a vast expanse of water.

Of course, this is not the first time Mr Gilligan has tried to smear MEND and other Muslim organisations.

We hope The Sunday Times will reflect on the above and issues a clarification without delay before MEND commences legal action.

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