The irresponsible Express stokes the fire

There’s an article in today’s Express which is a cause for some concern. A minor, extremist Islamic group called Islam4UK is organising a demonstration to take place on October 31st in London, with the agenda that Britain should be ruled by Sharia Law. Islam4UK is a small organisation, which represents a hard-line Islamic viewpoint – one which isn’t shared by the overwhelming majority of Muslims in this country. However, the headline of the Express lumps all Muslims together:

Now Muslims demand: Give us full sharia law

The Express, in its typically disgusting style of journalism, has declared that the planned demonstration is the start of:

a massive campaign to impose sharia law on Britain

Except, it’s not exactly massive, is it. It’s one planned demonstration in London by a group of fundamentalist religious zealots. Of course, the Express bury the fact that it has not yet been approved by the Metropolitan Police way down at the bottom of the article:

The rally has not yet been given final approval. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “We have received an application for the march but we have yet to meet with the organisers.”

Islam4UK is fronted by Anjem Choudary, known for his extreme and unpaletable views. He’s an easy source of inflamatory quotes, which the right-wing tabloid media can churn out in an explosion of pretend outrage.  In short, his words, with a dash of hyperbole, sell papers. But there’s so much that’s ethically wrong with what they’ve done with this story, it’s hard to know where to start….

Firstly, what does giving coverage to groups like this achieve? It promotes the event by giving it a wider audience, so not only may you get more extremist Muslims turning up, you also advertise it to people like the English Defence League (EDL), a group of violent thugs opposed to anything or anyone other than themselves. Let’s say the demonstration gets the go-ahead – you can bet your arse that the EDL will show up and violence will break out. More grief for everyone for nothing beneficial to anyone, other than to appease the violent or twisted minds of Islam4UK and the EDL.

Secondly, by making sweeping generic comments like the Express headline, you further marginalise and isolate communities within our society. How do you think the average Muslim feels having just seen that front page? Knowing that he has just been lumped in with extremists, with whom he very probably shares no sentiment.

Thirdly, at a time when sympathy for the BNP is hot topic, by scaremongering with more ‘Muslims under your bed’ stories, you just legitimise their views. There are parts of the population who are very susceptible to propaganda, misinformation and sensationalism. By writing ludicrous, massively irrelevant and hugely irresponsible articles like this, you’re just handing the BNP more weapons to its arsenal. Once these articles are out there, the damage is done. You can’t fight propaganda with reason and rationality. When Nick Griffin appears on Question Time – what happens if he brings this up?  The reasonable side of the argument will get shouted down, as this will be ‘evidence’ of the supposed Islamification of Britain.

No ethical or moral consideration goes into journalism at the Express. Should the PCC step in and criticise the Express? As it stands, the Express is a friend of the fascists.