Channel 4 Sparking Controversy
Yesterday, Channel 4 announced their plans to conduct a daily broadcast of the Muslim Call to Prayer across the month of Ramadan; commencing Tuesday 9th July. The live call will be broadcast across the UK throughout the 30 days of Ramadan at 3 o’clock each morning. The TV platform will also interrupt programming an additional four times on the first day of Ramadan, to mark subsequent calls by means of a 20 second film to remind viewers of the approaching prayer time. The Call to Prayer is usually delivered from a mosque 5 times a day and is sometimes relayed by loudspeaker into the surrounding areas. Although only the first daily call will be broadcast on television, all five daily prayers will be played on the channel’s website.
It is believed to be the first time that a mainstream British television channel has broadcast the Islamic Call to Prayer. Channel 4 claims this controversial move has been designed to challenge the view that Islam is linked to terrorism and extremism, and has been described as an act of ‘deliberate provocation’; sending the likes of Twitter into a frenzy, eliciting a number of positive, and negative, responses.
"The Calls to Prayer prompt Muslims to carry out quiet moments of worship, but hopefully they'll also make other viewers sit up and notice that this event is taking place,” said Ralph Lee, Channel 4's head of factual programming.
"Observing the Adhan on Channel 4 will act as a nationwide tannoy system, a deliberate 'provocation' to all our viewers in the very real sense of the word," he added.
"No doubt Channel 4 will be criticised for focusing attention on a 'minority' religion but that's what we're here to do – provide space for the alternative and a voice to the under-represented.
"Following the horrific events in Woolwich and subsequent reprisals against British Muslims, there has surely never been a more pressing need to give a voice to the moderate mainstream majority. And let's not forget that Islam is one of the few religions that's flourishing, actually increasing in the UK. Like Channel 4's target audience, its followers are young. It's recently been reported that half of British Muslims are under 25."