http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/28/islam.channel4
Scholars claim programme inflamed sectarian divide
Broadcaster says film was fair and praised by critics
Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent The Guardian, Monday July 28
2008
It was described as an "exemplary piece of programme making" by an award winning
film-maker which launched a week of television coverage of Islam.
But a Channel 4 documentary on the Qur'an has angered a group of leading Shia
Muslim scholars, who have criticised it for making "seriously inaccurate
statements" about their branch of the faith.
In a letter to Channel 4, they said that the depiction of Shia beliefs in The
Qur'an, broadcast earlier this month, was "disappointing, misleading, even
defamatory".
The signatories to the letter were also angered by the apparent links made
between Shiaism and violence, with scenes of Iranian Shias burning effigies,
chanting anti-western slogans, and advocating acts of terror.
In the documentary, film-maker Antony Thomas explored the history of Islam's
holy book, examining it for statements on equality, suicide bombings, and
relationships with other faiths.
While some critics hailed it as a masterpiece, it angered prominent Shias. The
denomination comprises up to 20% of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims.
But criticism of the programme was not confined to the Shia scholars. Muhammad
Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, also wrote to
Channel 4's chief executive, Andy Duncan, last Thursday, warning of "specific
misrepresentations" that could damage cohesion between Muslim communities. "The
programme unfairly maligns Muslims following the Shia tradition by accusing them
of heresy based on a collection of age-old polemics and misinformation," Bari's
letter said. "With respect, this is an irresponsible portrayal which plays into
the hands of those who wish to seek discord amongst Muslims, which we hope you
did not intend."
The Muslim Public Affairs Committee had urged supporters to congratulate Channel
4 on the film, but changed its position when it realised the film's "biased and
inflammatory nature" regarding Shias.
Shias believe there is a direct line of succession from the prophet Muhammad's
family who were divinely ordained to lead Muslims, whereas Sunnis who comprise
the majority of Muslims, reject this.
The documentary also suggested that Shia Islam fulfilled a desire to worship the
human form by allowing its followers to revere Ali ibn Abu Talib, Muhammad's
cousin and son-in-law, and pray at shrines.
In one scene, the narrator said: "The God the Sunni worship may not be described
in human language, nor represented in any art form, for that would be
blasphemous. Yet sometimes the human heart yearns for more. For a faith you can
touch and feel, for drama, for music, for ceremony, for great stories of
sacrifice, pain, martyrdom and salvation and for someone to pray to who has
human form Shia Islam answers these needs ... But the Qur'an makes it so clear
that your prayer should only be directed to God." In another scene, having
explained the tenets of Shia Islam, the programme asked: "But do these specific
beliefs have any substance in the Qur'an? The answer is no."
One of those who signed the letter to Channel 4 was Yusuf al-Khoei, grandson of
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abul-Qassim al-Khoei, spiritual leader for much of the
Shia world until his death in 1992. He told the Guardian: "The film-maker
depicted Shia Islam as a foreign belief system that has no place in Islam. It
promoted the idea that Shias, as well as Wahhabis, are extremists. It even
featured one academic, Taj Hargey from Oxford, referring to Shias as sinners.
There are already people who think of us as kaffirs [infidels], and a primetime
documentary airing these opinions will only inflame that view and provide
justification for sectarian hatred and violence." Other signatories to the
letter were Maulana Zafar Abbas, Sayyid Mohammed al-Mousawi, Yasin Rahim and
Munawer Rattansey.
While there has been no official response yet to the letter, Channel 4 said: We
believe the topics covered by the film-maker were appropriate in a documentary
examining the Qur'an.
"Both sides of the various discussions were fully aired within the programme.
The film was critically acclaimed and generated a positive response from
viewers."
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