BBC Refuse to show Humanitarian Appeal

Occasionally when we hear something on the news our instinctive reaction is that this is wrong. That knee jerk reaction was my feeling towards the news that the BBC, were not going to show an appeal by the disasters emergency committee DEC on behalf of the people of Gaza.

However, they tried to look at the situation objectively so that I could understand why the BBC had taken this decision. The BBC as a news service is highly respected around the world therefore I could see some merit in this decision taken by the BBC. But their merits was only skin deep, as the objections to showing the film and the appeal on behalf of the DEC, was not consistent. In the past the BBC have shown appeals for the conflict in Darfur and for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both politically contentious conflicts, yet these appeals were for humanitarian reasons, not for political ones.

Therefore, the decision not to show the appeal, started to look political. Whatever the rights or wrongs of the conflict in Gaza, no one can ignore the suffering of the people living there. This Appeal was for a humanitarian aid, the only justification for not showing the appeal was a political one that tarred all Palestinians with the same terrorist brush.

Part of the justification that the BBC gave for not showing at the appeal, was that their news service was seeing all had across the Middle East. Personally, I think of the BBC has shot itself in the foot well and truly, as this decision will only go to reinforce the perception that the west is pro Israel and anti Arab. By not airing this humanitarian appeal on behalf of suffering people, particularly Muslims, only adds to this perception.

I'm really disappointed by the BBC taking this action, not least because it undervalues the intelligence of its viewers and listeners. The organisation seems to think that the public cannot distinguish between journalism and an appeal made on behalf of thirteen major charities, for humanitarian aid that it’s intended to relieve the suffering of women and children there were caught up in a conflict not of them making.

Had there been such an appeal system in place at the beginning of the Second World War, and the BBC had failed to air an appeal on behalf of the Jewish people that were suffering, the BBC would have been accused of anti Semitism. While I do not believe that the BBC is being anti Muslim, this is the way it will seem across the Middle East. One of the most important ways of dealing with terrorism is to win hearts and minds and to change the attitudes of people who believe that the west is against their people, their way of life and their religion.

The problem now is, even if the BBC were to show the film, the damage has already been done to its reputation across the world and particularly within Muslim nations.