Comedian and writer Ben Elton has said the BBC is too "scared" to broadcast jokes about Muslims for fear of provoking radical Islamists.
Elton, in an interview with Christian magazine Third Way, added that the broadcaster would "let vicar gags pass but would not let imam gags pass".
He said fear rather than "moral sensibilities" fuelled decisions about what material was appropriate.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "No subject is off limits for BBC comedy."
"The treatment should not cause harm or offence as defined by the BBC's Editorial Guidelines or breach other BBC Guidelines. There is no evidence that the BBC is afraid to tackle difficult subjects," she added.
Muhammad joke
Elton told the magazine how he had sat on a panel and suggested a joke involving Mohammed, which was rejected.
"I wanted to use the phrase 'Muhammad came to the mountain' and everybody said, 'Oh, don't! Just don't! Don't go there!'
"It was nothing to do with Islam, I was merely referring to the old proverb, 'If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.' And people said, 'Let's just not!'"
The comedy writer, whose credits include Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line, added the Muslims would not want to be excluded from comedy.
"I'm quite certain that the average Muslim does not want everybody going around thinking,'We can't mention you. We've just got to pretend you don't exist because we're scared that somebody who claims to represent you will threaten to kill us.'"
The 48-year-old writer of Queen musical We Will Rock You, professed to being an atheist, but said he did occasionally go to church and sent his children to Church of England schools.
Well, I think its obvious why some people might feel intimidated at the prospect of airing anything that might lead to somebody getting hurt or killed. Although if Denmark is any indication, that isn't going to stop those who feel driven to do so.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
It does show that the intimidation works.
As long as it works, it will be kept up.
Citing Spain as an example.
Occupation: The term of control of a territory by foreign military forces: Iraq 2003-2005 Liberation:when something or someone is freed: Operation Telic 2003
I'm glad people are scared of us, why should it be 'alright' to take the mik outta Islaam, No one cares about their religion no more, that's why it's alright to say things about other religions, no one gives a crap! But we care,
Gonna defend Islaam all the way,
My mom (Niqaabi) says shes glad that people cross the road when they see her, she hated it when they used to brush against her body even with so much space on the streets! Loq
"Whoever lives amongst you will see much differing, so adhere to my Sunnah" Muhammad (صلّى الله عليه و سلم)
I'm glad people are scared of us, why should it be 'alright' to take the mik outta Islaam, No one cares about their religion no more, that's why it's alright to say things about other religions, no one gives a crap! But we care,
Gonna defend Islaam all the way,
My mom (Niqaabi) says shes glad that people cross the road when they see her, she hated it when they used to brush against her body even with so much space on the streets! Loq
Is violence going to stop it?
Sure some people will cower, but all it really does is build hate.
Others will give back as good as they get.
Occupation: The term of control of a territory by foreign military forces: Iraq 2003-2005 Liberation:when something or someone is freed: Operation Telic 2003
You know... the more the muslims get haughty and react with violence etc to criticism of their religion, the more I want to see it criticized. If muslims had just shrugged off the cartoons for example, I doubt anybody else would have cared about them or wanted to see them.
Haughtyness is fine in my book.
killing or threatening people isnt..,
Occupation: The term of control of a territory by foreign military forces: Iraq 2003-2005 Liberation:when something or someone is freed: Operation Telic 2003
You know... the more the muslims get haughty and react with violence etc to criticism of their religion, the more I want to see it criticized. If muslims had just shrugged off the cartoons for example, I doubt anybody else would have cared about them or wanted to see them.
why should they keep quite?
Learn silence as you have learned speech.
Speech will guide you, and silence will protect you.
"It was nothing to do with Islam, I was merely referring to the old proverb, 'If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.' And people said, 'Let's just not!'"
Actually, that is offensive. The proverb is based on a fabricated story about the Prophet Muhammad.
If muslims had just shrugged off the cartoons for example, I doubt anybody else would have cared about them or wanted to see them.
I don't feel that Muslims should have just shrugged it off. Nor do I feel that they (the minority) should have reacted in the way that they did, spoiling it for the majority of Muslims.
We should react peacefully, just like Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) always did when he was insulted (and even when people tried to kill him!).
"I spent thirty years learning manners, and I spent twenty years learning knowledge."
You know... the more the muslims get haughty and react with violence etc to criticism of their religion, the more I want to see it criticized. If muslims had just shrugged off the cartoons for example, I doubt anybody else would have cared about them or wanted to see them.
Unlike some people, us Muslims are serious about our religion, Alhamdulillah.
Just more proof that unfortunately threats and violence do indeed 'work' to some extend. I suppose a lot of this is a sad side-effect of our modern communication technologies. Without a medium like the internet the ignorant mob in, say, Pakistan wouldn't even be aware some guy in Europe was making something blasphemous.
Of course, luckily there will always be artists who won't allow thugs and intolerance to limit them in their artistic freedom. God bless em .
Unlike some people, us Muslims are serious about our religion, Alhamdulillah.
Being 'serious' and 'keeping a sense of proportion' (let alone 'a sense of humour') are two totally different things. Jokes that refer to a particular religion do not automatically mean 'mockery'... many Jews and Christians (and I assume muslims?) are able to see genuine humour without taking offence when no offence is intended. Buddhists certainly can, although for some reason there aren't exactly a lot of Buddhist jokes! Here's a story about taking offence that's relevant, though (and a few jokes at the link).
There was a young monk in China who was a very serious practitioner of the Dharma. Once, this monk came across something he did not understand, so he went to ask the master. When the master heard the question, he kept laughing. The master then stood up and walked away, still laughing.
The young monk was very disturbed by the master's reaction. For the next 3 days, he could not eat, sleep nor think properly. At the end of 3 days, he went back to the master and told the master how disturbed he had felt. When the master heard this, he said, "Monk, do you know what your problem is? Your problem is that YOU ARE WORSE THAN A CLOWN!" The monk was shocked to hear that, "Venerable Sir, how can you say such a thing?! How can I be worse than a clown?" The master explained, "A clown enjoys seeing people laugh. You? You feel disturbed because another person laughed. Tell me, are you not worse than a clown?"
When the monk heard this, he began to laugh. He was enlightened.
Laughing is wonderful- beautiful, fantastic, marvelous.
Laughing AT a religion, whether it be Islam or any other, is NOT. Religions are out of bounds, they are to be respected, not mocked. Whether you think it's "not having a sense of humor" or not.
There are plenty of other things to laugh about, side stepping religion won't make a difference.
Laughing is wonderful- beautiful, fantastic, marvelous.
Laughing AT a religion, whether it be Islam or any other, is NOT. Religions are out of bounds, they are to be respected, not mocked. Whether you think it's "not having a sense of humor" or not.
There are plenty of other things to laugh about, side stepping religion won't make a difference.
I don't think it's fair that religion gets such a special 'protected' treatment while all other beliefs do not. I don't think it makes sense in a democratic pluralist society to treat religion differently from any other belief.
"I don't think it's fair that religion gets such a special 'protected' treatment while all other beliefs do not"
Speaking of "special protected treatments"...
What if I, hypothetically speaking, do not believe in the holocaust? What if I want to deny that it ever happened? It should be fully within my rights to deny the holocaust. It is a "belief", yet it is a crime in 13 countries. How about a joke denying the holocaust? Pretty much the same, I'm guessing. So much for "freedom of speech".
"I don't think it's fair that religion gets such a special 'protected' treatment while all other beliefs do not"
Speaking of "special protected treatments"...
What if I, hypothetically speaking, do not believe in the holocaust? What if I want to deny that it ever happened? It should be fully within my rights to deny the holocaust. It is a "belief", yet it is a crime in 13 countries. How about a joke denying the holocaust? Pretty much the same, I'm guessing. So much for "freedom of speech".
In my opinion it is absolutely wrong to outlaw a disbelief in the holocaust.
Yet, I fail to see your point? Does the fact that 13 countries outlaw holocaust denial a reason for you why no jokes should be made about Islam?
The thing with freedom of speech is people only seem to call it that when they're insulting a religion (in most cases, Islam....)
I think first and foremost people need to find and accept one definition of freedom of speech. Then we can move on to a discussion about it.
As for this topic; I'm sort of glad that the bbc aren't making muslim jokes but sort of not. See, I like humour and if I do say so myself, I have a prety broad and wide sense of it. Some muslim related jokes are freakin hilarious (I prefer the satirical ones as opposed to juvenile delinquancy etc etc) and I'd love to hear more of them. What I dislike are jokes about Islam (as these tend to consist of juvenile and delinquent humour, since they are based on lies or fabrications, as opposed to satire ergo not funny) However, I am 100% aware of the fact that not everyone shares my sense of humour (as it is rather wide) so in that sense am grateful towards the beeb for ''censoring'' their jokes.
Perhaps in time, satire will become a global mastery and then we'll sit back and laugh. Though, if it's global humour, it probably isn't satire...
Last edited by aamirsaab; 04-06-2008 at 06:31 PM.
Reason: double trouble.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
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