How pleased I am to have defeated Ben De Pear and his anti-free speech mafia at Channel 4 news
C4 News Editor thought he was being so clever by turning my column into a cause celebre
SO it all started with me raising in this column a question: Is it appropriate for a woman wearing a hijab to front a TV news show on the night a Muslim driving a lorry has massacred 86 innocent bystanders in Nice?
You would have thought it was a perfectly legitimate question, with my criticism aimed not at the hijab-wearing Fatima Manji but at her Channel Four News editor Ben de Pear, who placed her in such an invidious position.
As I pointed out, the idea of C4 using an Orthodox Jew to cover an Israeli-Palestinian outrage would have been out of the question.
Channel Four and 1,800 other souls hostile to free speech were so enraged by my question that they went to the press regulator Ipso.
Do bear in mind that it is a television news show trying to stop free speech. How incredible.
Anyway, I am pleased to report that their verdict was the equivalent of Wednesday night’s game between Barcelona and Manchester City, 4-0 to me.
They ruled my piece hadn’t breached their code on the grounds of discrimination, nor harassment, nor accuracy.
And further, they signalled my column was simply an expression of free speech and the fact that C4 didn’t like it was tough. All together: Aaaagh.
And what did Mr de Pear do with the story on Wednesday night? Did he lead with it? Did he drop it in half way? Did he make it an “and finally”?
No, because he got soundly beaten he didn’t run a line of it in 60 minutes.
What a gut-wrenching editorial coward he is.
Ms Manji made this clear on Radio Four’s Today programme: “I do wear the hijab as a symbol of my religion.”
RELATED STORIES
A decade ago there was a row at the BBC over Fiona Bruce wearing a cross which led to a lot of discussion about the rights and wrongs.
There should be no religious artefacts worn on air by news presenters.
For some Muslim women the hijab is a sign of oppression.
In Iran, Afghanistan and Saudi, not wearing head coverage will mean you end up in court.
Let me ask this question: Would Mr de Pear dare to put up a hijab-wearing Ms Manji as the presenter today if there was a Nice-style massacre on London’s Oxford Street with scores dead?
We know the answer already. He wouldn’t dream of it.
Mr de Pear thought he was being so clever by turning my column into a cause celebre.
Instead he fell flat on his face. A win for free speech.
On Channel Four’s new website today there is a blog called A Guide To Muslim Headwear.
The intro reads: “For some, wearing Muslim headdress is an assertion of religious and cultural identity. For others, it is a symbol of female oppression.”
So why do they allow their own presenters to wear clothing that they know causes offence to many viewers? Discuss.
CO-OP’S CASHING IN ON YOU
DOING the right thing since 1844. Because we are not just about profit.
This is the slogan of the charlatans at the Co-op, who boast they believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness and caring for others. It is, of course, pigswill.
Take the case that has been brought to my attention by her family concerning 83-year-old Barbara Hayden, who was widowed 18 months ago.
Relatives began looking at Barbara’s finances, as her husband handled everything. They were horrified to discover a renewal notice for building and contents cover on her £180,000, two-bed maisonette in Bromley, South London, for £674.
She had been with the Co-op for 23 years and never made a claim.
Relatives went online, found the same cover for £81 then complained to me.
Barbara, frail and hard of hearing, believed in being loyal and trusted the Co-op to do the right thing for her. How many times have I said loyalty doesn’t pay?
The family then protested to the Co-op about the rip-off and – surprise, surprise – the company decided they had done nothing wrong and it was up to Barbara to check if there was a better deal out there.
Remember the Co-op expression: “Because we are not just about profit?”
Why don’t they change it to: “Because we are only about profit?” At least it would be accurate.
I urge all families with older members to spend this weekend looking at their relatives’ car, home and gas and electric bills, as I suspect they are being exploited by the nasty Co-ops (and Sagas) of this world.
As I have said before, I don’t care if you go to Confused, me at or whoever, my bet is you will save your nearest and dearest (plus yourself) a small fortune.
Do email your saving stories to [email protected].
Hamm’s ideal for EU pickle
THE Brexiteers in the Cabinet have become quite agitated of late by the actions of Chancellor Philip Hammond.
They keep giving disobliging briefings accusing Mr Hammond of being “an accountant”.
If what they mean is that Mr Hammond has the temerity to quote the cost of plans and schemes to them and urges caution, I say thank God for Mr Hammond.
That is his job. He is not there to be like some mad Gordon Brown character, throwing around money like a man with no arms.
I vaguely know Mr Hammond, as he is my local MP.
Not a big personality, he would bring a tear to a glass eye, but in these potentially difficult times we need a Hammond to add up the numbers and tell us what is affordable and what are the risks.
Actually, it might be a bloody good thing if all Secretaries of State were at least part-qualified accountants, as we would have people at the top who understood that decisions do have financial consequences.
I have worked with a number of accountants in my time but my favourite was the finance director of talkSPORT.
We were going through difficult times and needed to cut jobs.
In order to reduce the number of pay-offs (we were running out of cash) he came up with the cunning plan of turning off the lift of the three-storey building, which meant everybody had to walk up the stairs.
He reasoned this would save us on the electricity bill plus the fat ones would start looking for work elsewhere. And it succeeded.
After ten days a very large and expensive colleague said his knees would not allow him to keep going up and down the stairs and that, regretfully, he would have to resign.
That saved us a vital few pennies. Unbelievably, the FD had the cheek to seek a bonus for coming up with the elevator idea.
Perhaps Hammond should hire my old FD – he’s looking for work right now – and get him to cost turning off the lifts across Whitehall as part of the austerity programme.
Good idea or what?
Kid is a shock Hudson
AM I losing it or is there something of the Sixties matinee idol Rock Hudson about this chap, who entered the UK as part of the “children of Calais” scheme, shortly to be renamed the “pensioners of Calais” scheme?
Face recognition software makes him 38, although entry is supposed to be restricted to the under-18s.
Mind you, if Joan Collins ever used the Calais ferry I imagine her computer age would be so old that in order not to offend her they would insist on carbon dating (that’s an old Joan Rivers gag).
- I HEAR that in his new job as Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson (height 5ft 9in) has approached the state banquets with such gusto that he now tips the scales at an astonishing 17st 7lb.
Instead of “Cripes” he now says “Crepes”.
I suspect becoming Secretary of State for Health is no longer an option.
- I AM 100 per cent behind the various stunts by Charlton fans to force out the non-investing, non-attending, non-interested Belgian owner Roland Duchatelet but I draw the line at surrounding the director’s box and abusing them at point-blank range.
It’s called bullying and should stop.
In-your-face violence of this kind devalues the legitimate argument.
CAR broker and spare parts seller on eBay – Rovers Returned.
On the back of a chimney sweep’s van in West Yorkshire – Up Yours.
Lady plumber in Hemel Hempstead, Herts – Pipewench.
Chinese in Suva, Fiji – The Wan-Q.
Key cutting and shoe shop in Stourbridge, West Mids – Key To The Sole.
Hair extension specialist in Stockport, Gtr Manchester – Twist Of Fake.
Optician’s in Bilston, West Mids – Eye Openers.
Mobile mechanic in Watford – Torque Is Cheap.
Tree specialist and landscaper in Langley Moor, Co. Durham – Treemendous.
Dog groomer’s in Windsor, Berks – Bark-Shear Grooming.
Great punnies.
Do send more to kelvin@ the-sun.co.uk.