Muslim radio station fined £2,000 for broadcasting 'hate speech'

A radio station broadcasting to Nottingham's Muslim community has been fined £2,000 after a talk played on the radio was found to constitute 'hate speech'. Watchdog Ofcom today (February 27) ruled a nasheed - a chant or speech often set to music which are popular in the Islamic world - broadcast by Radio Dawn breached its code on hate speech. A decision published on Ofcom's website said the 17-minute nasheed, which was broadcast on December 26, 2016, began by "glorifying the victories on the battlefield of figures from Islamic history".

Karimia Institute / Radio Dawn / Bobbers Mill Community Centre, etc.

 It said the broadcast also went on to "suggest that similar violent acts committed against non-Muslim people would bring honour to Islam". The notice said: "Further, the Nasheed included a number of pejorative references to non-Muslim people. "In particular, non-Muslim people were repeatedly referred to as “Kufaar” (the Arabic word for disbeliever) and on one occasion, “Kaafir I Murdaar” (meaning filthy disbeliever in Urdu)." Ofcom ruled the breach was serious and imposed a sanction of a £2,000 on the station, which is run by the Karimia Institute, which is based in Berridge Road, in Forest Fields. 
 It comes just two months after the station was rapped by Ofcom for broadcasting "potentially harmful" information . In that case, a scholar, described on the phone-in programme as "the Mufti", said it was unacceptable for a diabetic to miss fasting days during Ramadan on the recommendation of a non-Muslim doctor. A comment from the  Karimia Institute is still outstanding.