Special Report
Editorial
Op-Ed
Opinion
Columns

Politics
Literature
Music
Art & Culture
Sikh Religion
Rights
1984
Books
Education
Business

Entertainment
Lifestyle
Travel
Health
Heritage
Sports
Kids Corner

Panjab
India
Pakistan
South Asia
US of A
Canada
Asia-Pacific
UK
Europe
Middle East
Africa
World
 

Archives
Newsletter
Advertise

Obituaries

Feedback
Contact Us
About Us
Site Map

BBC's Asian network under fire from Sikhs due to religious bias
WSN Network

LONDON: The BBC's Asian Network is at the center of a race row after Sikhs accused the digital radio station of being insensitive towards their religion.

The BBC were forced to remove a show from their website after Adil Ray, a popular Muslim presenter, received objections from Sikh listeners who accused him of denigrating one of their religious symbols, a newspaper reports.

The row centres around a show broadcast earlier this month in which Ray discussed a Punjabi music concert in Canada where police had banned a number of Sikhs who refused to remove their kirpan.

A number of listeners believed that Ray had been disparaging about whether Sikhs really needed to carry their kirpan - a ceremonial symbol that baptised Sikhs are expected to wear at all times - and complained about this.

The Birmingham-based network has strongly denied the accusations or any suggestion that Ray meant to mock Sikhism.

The row has nonetheless raised fresh questions over whether the digital network, which was set up eight years ago after the BBC's then director general Greg Dyke described the corporation as "hideously white", is serving its Asian listeners.

Last year, Labour peer Lord Ahmed accused the network of being biased against Muslims in favour of Sikhs and Hindus, although an internal investigation by the BBC later exonerated it.

The Sikh Media Monitoring Group has written to the BBC asking for a full transcript of Adil Ray's show and accused the station of being insensitive towards Sikh listeners.

26 August 2009
 

Bookmark with

Reddit    Yahoo     Furl    Delicious