http://islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=19&

Enjoy.

I have never watched Islam Channel either or Press TV (I live in Denmark). The few times I have heard of Yvonne Ridley were during the time she called to boycott a musician, and to be honest I was a bit sceptical how she reverted to Islam.

Let me emphasize strongly; I really don’t like to mingle this kind of debate, which really black - screens the real problems of our Ummah.

Wa’aleikum salaam.

And Allah(swt) Knows Best.

I’ve never watched Islam Channel and therefore have never seen Yvonne Ridley’s programme. I don’t have any axe to grind either in her favour or against her. You can use the search box on the right-hand side of my main index to find all the times I’ve mentioned her. I’ve got two entries mentioning her more than in passing - once was in relation to a sexual harassment suit against Islam Channel, and once was about her complaining about cabs not picking her up when she wore hijab.

I am no defender of Quilliam people (and Allah(swt) Knows best), and even Non-Muslims can see through their lies (how disgusting), but let’s look at the people you try to defend. I wonder if Yvonne Ridley is one of them:

She began presenting The Agenda With Yvonne Ridley, the Islam Channel’s politics and current affairs show, in October 2005. However, the show and Ridley were axed from the Saudi-funded channel after she refused to shake the hand of a Saudi prince at a post-Hajj feast. The channel blamed Ofcom for exerting pressure, which that organisation denies. According to several published reports, Saudi pressure was brought to bear upon the channel head over the hand-shaking incident. The Islam Channel maintains that Ridley “has not been sacked and is still working for us.” However in April 2008 Ridley won her case for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination against Mohamed Ali Harrath, the CEO of the Islam Channel as well as the channel. The full damning 30-page report was published on the website Harry’s Place. Ridley now works for Press TV, the Iranian English language 24-hour news channel, hosting many talk shows among them The Agenda being the major one. - Wikipedia

Again, I am not defending Mrs.Yvonne Ridley, but it looks to me it is not important who you defend against slanderous, but who you are serving. In another words; follow the money.

Wa’aleikum Salaam

This is no means to criticize all MM writers, but I think MM reached a point where it is all about promoting Y Qadi, and this kind of promotion (can I say propaganda?) could repulse many people, and to be honest, some of staff members appear like cult members (and sadly that is how I see it).

I think you are doing a great harm to this man the way you try to uplift him, let him alone.

But again, I find it entertained the way he balance between shaking Toni Blair’s hands and advocating ‘tradition Islamic teaching’. He is indeed skating on a thin ice.

It has always been my opinion that a Shaik (teacher) is just another Muslim who happens to verse well on Islam, and he should be treated like every human beings, and if you really love your teacher, then treat him that way.

Wa’aleikum salaam.

As Ali mentioned, we need to go after organizations such as this systematically and unemotionally; based on facts and figures, not ad homimen attacks.

I hope inshallah that either (a) Quilliam mends its ways to become a force for good for both the Muslim community and the UK government— the two are not mutually exclusive despite Quilliam’s efforts thus far to promote that, or (b) the Home Office stops funding them and let them “earn” their own living, promoting their false agendas.