DAR AL HARB - U.K.: ABU ASAMA TO BE LIVE ON THE RADIO

CONTROVERSIAL MUSLIM TO AIR VIEWS ON RADIO

A controversial Muslim speaker will face a live two-hour radio interview in Derby at the weekend.

Abu Asama was shown in a Channel 4 documentary preaching fundamentalist views about homosexuals, women and non-Muslims after an undercover reporter filmed him speaking at a Birmingham mosque.

The convert to Islam from Birmingham was shown making the remarks in a Dispatches programme.

Mr Asama will be asked about his views when he appears on Normanton-based Radio Ikhlas on Sunday at 2pm.

Presenter Shokat Lal is inviting non-Muslims and Muslims to call in and tackle Mr Asama on the controversial views he expressed in the programme aired on Monday, January 15.

Mr Lal, 28, said: "This will be a live, unedited face-to-face interview.

"Mr Asama has claimed that his comments were taken out of context but this is an opportunity to find out how he can justify his views.

"On the programme, he made some very derogatory remarks about women, homosexuals and non-Muslims.

"We want to challenge his views."

The Ahl-e-Hadith mosque in Hastings Street, Normanton, was also featured in the programme after a visiting preacher expressed extremist views. Radio Ikhlas has invited representatives from the mosque along to the interview.

Mr Lal, chairman of the Pakistani Community Centre, in Harrington Street, Normanton, added: "Members of the Muslim community are seething about programmes like this.

"I want to ask Asama what gives him the right to come on air and give that representation of Islam.

"Non-Muslim viewers who watched the documentary might believe that his views represent the beliefs of most Muslims, when that is a minority extremist view.

"Mr Asama is a convert to Islam and I would like to find out why he is misrepresenting a religion that is supposed to promote peace and tolerance."

The radio station's project manager Aftab Rehman arranged the interview with the controversial cleric.

He said: "The main reason for inviting him onto the programme is to contextualise some of the comments he made.

"The programme was edited and we know that the media can pick out the bits from a one-hour lecture that will most interest their readership or audience.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions and we are giving an opportunity for individuals to put these questions to him."

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The interview will be aired on Radio Ikhlas, which is on 107.8FM, on Sunday between 2pm and 4pm. It can also be accessed through the station's website at www.ikhlas.org.uk.


“Dispatches: Undercover Mosque” (link)


Pertinent Links:

1) CONTROVERSIAL MUSLIM TO AIR VIEWS ON RADIO

2) Radio Ikhlas 107.8FM