Bbc Bias Against Sikhs And Selective Use Of The Term Asian

[GoingToNewYork]

Sat Siri Akal dear highly regarding brothers & sisters.

I'm not much of a Gurmukh or educated as the Sadh Sangat is here is but wanted to add my experiance of this negativness towards Sikhs by the BBC.

I too feel the same & have written to them about an issue with a particular radio presenter who contstanlty mocks Sikhs especially Sikh/Punjabi Singers/Artists.

Below are the emails & responses I have had & feel they havent done much to assure me that they will change their ways. (please read from the bottom first)

Is there something we can collectively do?

Dear Mr Singh

Thank you for your reply to our previous response to your initial complaint.

I can assure you that we forwarded your complaint to Mike Curtis, Network

Manager, BBC Asian Network who replied as follows:

"The Asian Network and Adil Ray would like to assure you that he does not

'constantly mock Sikhs'. He is known for his humorous and somewhat

irreverent presentation style - and the subjects for his humour cover a

wide range of topics, music and people.

His programme editor and our Head of Programmes have daily discussions with

Adil about the content and tone of his programmes. The editor and/or studio

producer are constantly monitoring what he says during the programme to

ensure that, within the humour and overall presentation, he remains within

BBC editorial guidelines and ultimately offers a fair and balanced view of

the world.

Adil does sometimes make comments about individual tracks but his views are

based solely on what he hears - not on the artist's background or religion.

He - and the Asian Network - welcomes the fact that he has listeners of all

faiths who enjoy his humour and presentation."

Nevertheless, I fully appreciate that you feel strongly about this matter.

Therefore I would like to assure you that we have registered your comments

on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which

we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives

within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your

points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered

across the BBC.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us with your views.

Regards

Paul Hunter

BBC Complaints

__________________________________________

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your email.

Although you state "Adil's show has a large amount of regular listeners who have very clear expectations of his frequently

provocative and cutting comments", this doesn't make it right though does it? Just because a large amount of people in any context expect something, it doesn't mean what they expect is "right".

This "large amount of regular listeners" will clearly be Muslim as that is what makes the bulk of the Asian population in Britain so of course they wouldn't mind the negativeness towards Sikhs!

Such cutting comments about Sikhs aren't "occasional" but frequent & am afraid your email hasn't done much to assure me that something will be done to stop the negativeness towards Sikhs.

What I would like to happen as a licence payer is for Senior Management to address the issue & make it clear to Adil Ray that such negativeness towards a minority community is utterly wrong & will not be tolerated. Unless action of this sort is taken, I will have no alternative but to contact my MP & make the matter very public.

I look forward to hearing from you very soon.

Kind Regards

Mr Singh

> Dear Mr Singh

>

> Thanks for your e-mail regarding 'The Adil Ray Show'.

>

> I understand you're unhappy as you feel Adil makes offensive comments about

> Sikh's on the programme and you think he is biased towards Muslim artists.

>

> Whilst I can appreciate your concerns Adil's show has a large amount of

> regular listeners who have very clear expectations of his frequently

> provocative and cutting comments.

>

> The main difficulties for the programmes broadcasters are that people have

> different personal definitions of acceptable comments and there's no single

> set of standards in this area on which the whole of society can agree.

>

> It's inevitable that statements which are acceptable to some will

> occasionally strike others as inappropriate. I can assure you that

> comments are tongue in cheek and in keeping with the nature of the

> programmes format and Adil would never wish to offend any of his listeners.

> I'm sorry to read you've been disappointed.

>

> Of course you may still be unhappy with these comments so I can assure you

> that I've registered your comments on our audience log. This is the

> internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all our

> programme makers including our team BBC Asian Network team. It ensures

> that your complaints are circulated and considered across the BBC.

>

> Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

>

> Regards

>

> Michelle Wiggins

> BBC Complaints

> ____________________________

> www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

>

> -----Original Message

>

>

>

> Adil Ray is contstantly mocking the Sikhs. Whenever he has to

> play Bhangera music by Sikh artists he always makes degrading comments after

> it.

>

> You will notice in comparison he will always make more favourable remarks to

> Muslim artists.

>

> I am really shocked how a world wide reputable organisation like the BBC is

> allowing this to happen!

[AK47 JATHA LION]

yeh since we on the topic of bbc...

we need to do something about that Bobby whats his name, and that Sonia deol.

Im not happy with the way they compare sikhs with Islamic extremism and terrorism.

The term asian is too broad. If its muslims carrying out attacks and killing innocent people then they should say so without comparing them to the sikh khalistan movement and not try to mix it up in their "asian" cauldron.

Im gonna write a letter also. Every1 shud write 1. fill their inbox up, make it crash. Lets see if it forces a change

[Paneer Monster]

yeh since we on the topic of bbc...

we need to do something about that Bobby whats his name, and that Sonia deol.

Im not happy with the way they compare sikhs with Islamic extremism and terrorism.

The term asian is too broad. If its muslims carrying out attacks and killing innocent people then they should say so without comparing them to the sikh khalistan movement and not try to mix it up in their "asian" cauldron.

Im gonna write a letter also. Every1 shud write 1. fill their inbox up, make it crash. Lets see if it forces a change

veerji do you have any links? dates ? times?

Benti to sangat: if you feel strongly about this issue, keep your ears and eyes open when listening/ reading to news articles. keep a log including evidence, dates and times.

Thanks a lot for putting this together. It totally exposes the biased view of the BBC. I think what has happened is when the BBC was first putting together staff for covering "Asian" stories, it adding a lot of Muslim people plus some desis hostile to Sikhs. We're continuing to feel the effects.

You should make your concerns known to some politicians as well.

I don't know why some British people are out to appease Muslims as they are so hateful towards Britain.

I already informed Wolverhampton's Rob Marris MP, he has worked with the Sikh Community on many occasions and i believe he has previously contacted the BBC in regards to this issue.

[Guest fordcapri]

What bout an online Petition to get things going ?

[TejiKaur]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

I apploud Mr.Singh for his work and i think it is so important that Sikhs stand by him on this on

if we keep getting steeped on over and over we will be weak

we must always stand up for the strength of the Sikh nation

and the honor of our Dastars

Sikhs r the savior of womens izit not the theives of it

media r so powerful

they can cause such a ripple affect

i applaud mr singh on his effort n encourage all to stand behind him no matter the view

Sikhis izit is our izit

a stick is easy to break

but a bundle is near impossible

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[khalistan_zindabaad]

If we want to take this further, then a well written well documented piece of writing should be written, all fact based and submitted to all the panjabi and english newspapers - racist bbc - or something like that as a title, it will surely get there attention then, or as we have our own channel - get a good writeup and get them to discuss it on the channel and make formal complaints to parliament.

[Paneer Monster]

If we want to take this further, then a well written well documented piece of writing should be written, all fact based and submitted to all the panjabi and english newspapers - racist bbc - or something like that as a title, it will surely get there attention then, or as we have our own channel - get a good writeup and get them to discuss it on the channel and make formal complaints to parliament.

It sounds like you have jsut volunteered