I know that I've commented on the BBC's Bitsize educational site's coverage of religion but I thought it worth a revisit.
Here's some extracts from the section on War and Peace comparing the BBC's coverage of Judaism and Islam.
First Judaism, (my emphasis):
So for the BBC whilst some wars fought by Jews 'could be argued' were 'wrong and unjustified', ''Islam is a religion of peace in which fighting and war are seen only as a last resort'. Islam is a pacifist religion and only misunderstanding of Jihad causes non-Muslims to see it otherwise.
Absolutely no mention in the section on Islam of the parts in the hadith where Muhammad says that he is 'ordered by Allah to fight men until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger.'. No mention of the wars fought by Islam to conquer the Byzantine Empire and large parts of Christian Europe.
Is the BBC, as they say, 'for real'?
Here's some extracts from the section on War and Peace comparing the BBC's coverage of Judaism and Islam.
First Judaism, (my emphasis):
'Jewish attitudes to war and peace are based on the teachings of the Jewish Scriptures.Now Islam:
In the Jewish Scriptures there are examples of wars. Some of these were Holy Wars where the Jews were trying to maintain their religion when other people wanted to make them worship false gods. Others were perhaps ‘Just Wars’ but it could be argued that some of them were wrong and unjustified.'
'Islam is a religion of peace in which fighting and war are seen only as a last resorts:
...
The idea of Jihad is often misunderstood by non-Muslims who then see Islam as not being a pacifist religion.
Muslims may fight in self-defence but are forbidden to begin a fight. The aim of fighting is to create a situation where Muslims are free to worship Allah and live in peace.
One aim of Holy War may be to create a democracy where people are free to live their lives without beliefs and politics being imposed on them. There must be no hatred or vengeance in the fighting. As soon as peace is offered, fighting must stop. Once peace has been restored the differences between people must be resolved.'
So for the BBC whilst some wars fought by Jews 'could be argued' were 'wrong and unjustified', ''Islam is a religion of peace in which fighting and war are seen only as a last resort'. Islam is a pacifist religion and only misunderstanding of Jihad causes non-Muslims to see it otherwise.
Absolutely no mention in the section on Islam of the parts in the hadith where Muhammad says that he is 'ordered by Allah to fight men until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger.'. No mention of the wars fought by Islam to conquer the Byzantine Empire and large parts of Christian Europe.
Is the BBC, as they say, 'for real'?
1 comment:
I despair.
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