OMG!

Well, did anyone see the farce that was the documentary on Channel 4 today. It was titled "30 minutes; Who represents the Muslims."
It took me one second to come up with the answer - who represents the Musims? Why, the Muslims!
The programme was so full of bs, false facts and figures and general rubbish I was first gobsmacked then horrified it had even been aired! I cannot believe the man (Mr Bright) got it all so wrong - I am sure he has increased tensions between Muslims, as well as between Muslims and non-Muslims. What falsehoods!
You can see it, I think, on the Channel 4 website.
So being the concerened citizen I am, I wrote to C4 complaining, and here is what I said in the email:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to Channel 4 regarding the programme aired today called 30 minutes; "Who speaks for Muslims". I would really like to know where Mr Martin Bright did his research, as he got so many of his facts and figures wrong (maybe you could convince him to send it to me so I could read it and understand!). I speak as one of those he repeatedly calls "moderate Muslims"in his programme.

I watched this programme with horror as Mr Bright blundered through it, quoting figures that astounded me as a Muslim; such as his claim that 80% of British Muslims were Sufi's (caloborated with a gentleman he brought onto his programme). Wow! This is news to me. He based the rest of his programme around this one fact - which isn't even correct! Yes, there are Sufi Muslims in this country, I am not denying that, but the meaning of Sufism seems to have escaped Mr Bright, and he therefore makes a claim that it is Sufi's that represent a major part of the Muslims in this country.
It is he who has grossly misrepresented British Muslims - I am not saying that existing Muslim representative organisations represent everyone, but they certainly do a far better and more accurate job that he did in his programme! His programme seemed to have been structured to support or proporte his own point of view, rather than actually basing it on the reality of the Muslim situation in the UK today.
Mr Bright misrepresented Muslims so immensely that I cannot help but think that its wasn't just the fact that his research was integrally flawed but that he didn't really talk to that many Muslims while making this documentary!

Did Mr Bright even research Islam and/or Muslims? Or research Islamic theology by any chance? Several major concepts of Islam seem to have bypassed his understanding. The Muslims are a body of people, and like any large, huge, group of people, have a variety of different views. He seems to want to box us in and give us a neat label.

It is because of this diversity that we have an umbrella organisation such as the MCB. So that all Muslims can input their views and be heard. It is up to any Muslim organisation whether they want to be part of MCB or not. Frankly, regardless of whatever flaws the MCB may have, I don't see anyone else giving the Muslims a platform to speak like they do.
And I have been involved, indirectly, with the MCB many times e.g. through my university Islamic Society or the anti-war movement and not once have they presented an extremist ideology. Besides, who definines what an extremist ideology is for Mr Bright?

MAB or the Muslim Association of Britain was also mentioned in the programme, and all I can say is: Mr Bright, get your facts right! MAB is not a extremist organisation. Islamist, yes - though Mr Bright makes this seem like a bad word. What else would a Muslim organisation be but Islamist, i.e. a follower of Islam?!?

These are just some of the many, many points in this programme I found not just ludicrous but plain false. I cannot believe it was even aired! Someone within Channel 4 should have been representing Muslims and pointed out the glaring stupidity of some of what Mr Bright said. Maybe a "moderate muslim"???

I am a huge fan of Channel 4 and think that recently as a channel it has advanced in leaps and bounds; towards what a TV channel should be. As far as I am concerned it shows some of the best documentaries, programmes and news around. I was very disappointed to see such a badly put-together show on what was fast becoming my favourite channel on the box.

I hope you shall take my comments seriously and act upon them."

Whatcha tink!??!