|
 Channel 4 was accused of causing international offence last night for inviting the president of Iran to give an alternative Christmas Day message. Viewers saw Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claim that if Christ were on earth today he would stand in opposition to warmongers, occupiers, and bullies – a clear attack on allied forces who invaded Iraq and Afghanistan.
The broadcast, by the man who once paraded captured British sailors on Iranian television, brought heavy criticism from human rights campaigners and politicians, and also prompted a rare, damning response from the Government Attacked: Campaign groups say the broadcaster's decision to air the speech is 'dangerous' and motivated by ratings A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: ‘President Ahmadinejad has during his time in office made a series of appalling anti-Semitic statements. ‘The British media are rightly free to make their own editorial choices, but this invitation will cause offence and bemusement not just at home but amongst friendly countries
abroad.’ The broadcast had been scheduled at the same time as the Queen’s Speech on BBC and ITV, as in previous years. The Queen will highlight the impact of the credit crunch in her traditional Christmas message this year However, it was moved to 7.15pm to avoid a clash and to diminish the offence caused.
Speaking in Farsi with subtitles, Ahmadinejad said: ‘If Christ were on earth today, undoubtedly He would stand with the people in opposition to bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers.
‘If Christ were on earth today, undoubtedly He would hoist the banner of justice and love for humanity to oppose warmongers, occupiers, terrorists and bullies the world over.’
But the comments were met with incredulity. The Israeli Embassy said the message had a ‘sick and twisted irony’. Earlier this year Ahmadinejad said that ‘Israel should be wiped off the planet’. In the past week, nine people, including one woman, have been hanged according to Iran’s state owned newspaper.
Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor said: ‘In Iran, converts to Christianity face the death penalty. It is perverse that this despot is allowed to speculate on the views of Jesus, while his government leads Christ’s followers to the gallows.’
He said Channel 4’s decision to broadcast the message was a ‘scandal and a national embarrassment’.
The U.S., Britain and others suspect Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons, but it insists its uranium enrichment programme is intended solely for civilian energy.
Ties with the UK and Iran are already strained. In 2007, 15 British sailors and marines
were held for 13 days after they were accused of straying into sovereign waters. Tory
MP Philip Davies, who sits on the media select committee, said he was ‘disgusted’ with Channel 4.
He said: ‘The alternative Christmas message has simply become the festive equivalent to Big Brother. Each year they are trying to be more and more shocking. It is just unacceptable.’
Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside and chairman of the Labour Jewish Movement, was equally as scathing. She condemned the channel for giving an ‘unchallenged platform to a dangerous fanatic who denies the holocaust while preparing for another’.
She added: ‘Who will deliver next year’s alternative Christmas message? Will it be David Irving or Robert Mugabe?’
Channel 4 head of news and current affairs Dorothy Byrne said the broadcaster was offering viewers an insight into ‘an alternative world view’.
She added: ‘As the leader of one of the most powerful states in the Middle East,
president Ahmadinejad’s views are enormously influential. We are offering our viewers an insight into an alternative world view.’
In Islam, Christ is not recognised as the son of God, but is regarded as a Prophet.
In his speech, Ahmadinejad refers to the Abrahamic faiths – these are Christianity,
Judaism and Islam. They all recognise Abraham, who appears in the Old Testament
of the Bible, as the first Prophet.
 |
