Triangle Television has rejected a viewer complaint over a recent episode of its Voice of Islam programme, which said homosexuals should be put to death and incited Muslims to “clean up” problems in their neighbourhoods. CEO Jim Blackman said that in accordance with broadcasting codes which allow for “the expression of genuinely held opinion in news, current affairs, or other factual programmes” that the programme provider had not breached standards on this occasion. The lengthy homophobic rant came at the end of a religious address by a Mullah of the Islamic faith, who along with his audience laughed at gay pride parades and said, “Well, you've got a punishment waiting for you. You're going to drop dead from AIDS! But they said ‘We're going to stand up for our rights', and they're going to take us all down with them!” “They change you round. It's changing society,” the Mullah said later. “Muslims are going to have to take a stand. And it's not enough to call names! We have to take Islam to the streets. The greatest problem is ignorance! People don't know what Islam is. You need to stand up against the evil."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 21st October 2003 - 12:00pm