Eighteen months after the film Undercover Mosque was first screened, Dispatches goes undercover again with Undercover Mosque: The Return to find out whether extremist beliefs continue to be promoted in certain key British Muslim institutions.
The film, which airs tonight at 8pm (and will be available on Free Catch-Up for the next seven days) also investigates the role of the Saudi Arabian religious establishment in spreading fundamentalist Islamic ideology in the UK.
When the first film, Undercover Mosque, was screened in January 2007, the viewer enquiries team at Channel 4 received around 100 complaints and 30 appreciative comments from viewers. More controversially perhaps, the West Midlands Police complained about the film to Ofcom, who subsequently cleared Channel 4 of any wrongdoing.
Whether or not you watched the original programme, we’d be really interested to know what you think about tonight’s revisit - please let us know by leaving your comments below…
Commentsoldest first
I am fed up with all of this crap about islam. Would you like it if i wrote rubbish about your religeon? Have you even read the quran? No? Why? Do you only listen to what these people say and oh, ok, one lady, thats the whole of Islam. No! No! Thats wrong of you. Is it so hard to back off from us? Its wrong, its mean. I dont know why people bomb. There are ayas in the quran that say that people who take lives will not enter paradise. They wont even smell! please, back off!
Wrong. Channel 4 is right and brave to assess and these concerns, issues and views. Not everyone is a Muslim and this is one of the reasons why people resent Muslims beacuse they tend to be too sensitive just beacuse some ‘questioned’ their religion. Questioning and insulting is not the same thing. Let’s get it right. What Channel 4 did was good. I say Channel 4 should also do an Ex-Muslims feature -that would be different and interesting.
Well done Ch 4 for another brave and honest programme. Why not get the views of some well-informed non-muslim critics of Islam or ex-muslims who now live in fear of their lives?
My one criticism of the programme is that it tends to reinforce the view that there is an extreme Islam and a moderate one. The truth is that whilst there are moderate muslims, Islam itself is extreme.
honest??? Suppose Father Christmas still visits your house.
thankyou for beening brave enought to highlight the teachings of radical islam, something our goverment is too gutless to address. it is very frighting.
Hi Guys,
It would be worthwhile if you guys investigate the 12 August 2007 attack on the 58-year-old imam of the Regent mosque (which you showed in your programme) in which he suffered heavy blood loss, damage to both eyes and had to undergo emergency surgery.
Islamophobia is as despicable as the spread of extremism
Violence from fanatics on both sides is terrible and needs to be condemned.
I was able to watch parts of the documentary. It’s important that the subject of the ideology of Islam is discussed in the Media.
However I was surprised, that the reporters seemed to focus on Saudi interpretation and concluded, that only the extremist Saudis put a fundamentalist twist to the Quran.
When the Islam Scholar reads the Saudi translated Quran with it’s footnotes, he states, that the peaceful suras are distorted by the comments on the bottom of the page. But they are not. Every word is true - those verses are not valid any more, as verses that come later replace the once Mohammed wrote down in Mekka.
I was amazed that the reporters didn’t question the statement of the Islamic Scholar and pointed out, that it’s not the Saudis that “made up” this rule, but that the Quran itself states that older Suras are replaced with newer ones …
Everything that the Saudis cited and put in their interpretation can be found in the Quran. Thus it’s those Suras in the Quran that are the problem - not the Saudis that take the Quran as something that it’s meant to be: the unalterable word of Allah.
I feel betrayed and manipulated that this wasn’t discussed or mentioned by the reporters which must know much better than me.
I would really appreciate a response.
Thanks a lot!
Ralf
Germany
Sorry, but I think you know that The Verses of the sword are extremly violent against all non-believers. Do you want me to cite them? They are from Muhammads time in Medina where he was a war lord and killed at least 600 people personally . And more jewish tribes were killed on his orders! For orthodox Muslims Muhammads actions are supposed to be a guide-line - so of course the beheadings in Iraq and other Muslim countries can and are easily justified by his actions. This must be said! And people are not just extreme for no reason - they are formed by values. And it is time to question those values!
This is about the undercover mosque:
First I have to say it was good to see what is happening behind the doors of a mosque in London, but as I am an Iranian with English partner, the most annoying thing for me was the Persian music background you put on the video which has nothing to do with Islam and Saudi Arabia. it is in Persian language which has no relation to Arabic language of Islam. As I am a convert from Islam to Christianity I didn`t like Persian music being related to Islam, so I hope you don`t make same mistake in your next series
Thanks
D-M
I found your film Undercover Mosque deeply irresponsible filmmaking which will only increase Islamophobia and racial hatred in this country.
If you spent months filming in a church, synagogue or Hindu temple I’m sure you’d find a similar number of individuals spouting extreme statements. But no, you chose a mosque because Muslims are a powerless minority and an easy target. In the current climate of Islamophobia this can only contribute to worsening community relations.
Frankly, some of your undercover so-called revelations were laughable. You don’t need to go undercover to find out that Muslims believe that thieves hands should be cut off or that homosexuality is a sin. Muslims don’t try to hide most of the stuff your program “revealed” – Islam is an open book and everyone is free to accept or reject it. In my opinion, the program-makers clearly dislike Islam and were just venting their hatred on national TV.
By the way, I know those institutions your program featured and I can honestly say that I have never heard any of that stuff in your show promoted there. That’s because 99 per cent of the time it is not, but you completely ignored the constant messages of peace and tolerance that come out of those institutions. And that is pitiful, misleading and irresponsible journalism.
Also, why didn’t you Interview people who would have put across the points I made rather than just carry statements from the institutions and individuals you stitched-up? There are plenty of credible people who would have made these points but none featured in your show. You just went for government-friendly establishment figures.
As for the anti-Saudi theme that ran throughout, I too think that Saudi Islam can be intolerant, but it is not the cause of radicalization amongst Muslims. And here we come to my real source of contention against your film. The underlying (but unmentioned) current was that British Muslims are becoming more radicalized because of the growth of Saudi-sponsored Islam. Well, all the evidence points to the fact that they are getting more radicalized because of British foreign policy and that Saudi-sponsored Islam is a negligible contributory factor. In fact, the only way Saudi Islam can find fertile ground is if Britain invades more Muslim countries. But of course this was not addressed in your documentary. Instead, you just let uninformed people come to the wrong conclusion (a very effective tactic).
Finally, I am not saying that Muslims are immune from criticism. Of course we are, but it has to be responsible criticism which puts things in context and takes into account the current Islamophobic climate. Your film failed to do this.
In my day as an investigative journalist I would have been laughed at if i had come up with some of your undercover so-called revelations.
The world and its dog already know about certain aspects of Sharia’h law with regards to thieves having their hands should be cut off. And, like Judaism and Christianity, Islam views homosexuality as a sin.
How on earth can you reveal that when it is out in the open - do you really think your viewers are that silly?
This show was misleading and irresponsible journalism and if you want an open and public debate to discuss this more thoroughly then name your time and place.
I and plenty of other credible Muslims would welcome an open discussion about the content of your show - but would you?
I also note the anti-Saudi stance you took to great amusement. I may agree with some of your sentiments on that stance but the british Government certainly does not and will do anything to protect and promote Saudi. perhaps you should investigate that.
What I can tell you with confidence is that Saudi is not the cause of radicalization amongst Muslims.
Muslims living in Britain are not becoming radicalised through the growth of Saudi-sponsored Islam but like all youth of faith and no faith, they are radicalised by british foreign policy.
Tabloid journalism can be a very potent tool - but in the hands of knaves and fools it can be destructive, whip up hatred against certain sections of the community and distort realities.
Yvonne Ridley
Journalist and author
London, UK.
why are you screening comments being sent to you? thousands of muslims have comments about the rubbish you showed from that mosque… you choose the parts of islam and mix them to help pretray islam as evil unfair ect even half of info provided by the sister… was not ture islam… media are trying to make islam look bad! the correct information isnt hard to find so why are you failing to cover it? I think its because you choose to ignore it. paint the picture you want people to see… all the best in future efforts…
what is true islam?
Now do a report on Undercover Church and see what u come up with, this is a blaitant assault on 60% on the worlds population, surely you can come up with more productive journalism.
The words are written and the ink has dried.
Anybody can do cherry picking from the Koran to promote an ideology such as Wahabism. Backed by their petro dollar, they have been promoting this fanatical thoughts for ages in different part of the worlds. The west did not do anything as they were serving their purpose of providing oil and gas to the west.
Mankind has always felt threatened from time to time. In America, the black people was portrayed as the anti-christ. Then it was the turn of communism. Eventually, today Islam is the latest punching bag.
I personally think it’s too late. The damage is already done and it’s quasi impossible to remove this evil doctrine of Wahabism from the minds of young
muslim.
Its effects has been deadly in 9-11, 7-7, Bali, Kenya, Pakistan among others.
All muslims are moderate as it is a requisite of the faith to be tolerant towards others. Like I have said above, anyone can pick a bit of history to support their arguments but what is more important is the way forward.
Stop the wahabi engine
Stop the media bashing
The Prophet did say that one day to be a muslim would be like holding hot charcoal in one’s hand. I think this summarises succintly the present day.
This programme was another attempt to disunite and hit out at the wider muslim community. I feel the only thing it achieved is for those who already had ignnorant views of Islam, to be even more disillusioned from what Islam really is. Why is it that, Channel 4 needs an undercover reporter to go in to mosques spying, when the people who openly support bombings and other injustice killings are not hiding it? Since they seem to be on our screens or in the media 24/7, explaining exaclty how they feel and what they intend to do. As a muslim, I am by no mean sgoing to lie and say some of what wa said in the show is not true, and also by no means am I going to apologise for any acts carried out by other muslims since I did not carry them out myself. However I would just like to clearly point out to the editors of the programme, was it a coincidence that all the video clips have been editied so that the full content or talk carried out by the speakers was not used. I am sure all those who have a brain and use it, should know that when you listen to only a part of something your not exactly going to have the fuller understanding of the content.
Lastly to the post reagarding the persian music background, like people would even notice, I dont think people would notice the difference between arabic or persian, and what does that have to do with Islam, since music is forbidden. Your statement just shows how ignorant you are, dividing yourself from Islam (even though Iran is a a muslim state) will not make you more “English”.
C4 should do an expose into Gordon Brown’s private chambers…
This same ‘fundamentalist’ version of religion from Saudi Arabia is practiced by the Al Saud family, the very people UK goverment likes to sell arms to and buy oil from and court as their best freinds!
In this secular society, religion has no place, but please do not implicate that people who want to believe in God are brainwashed and abnormal.
How do you expect people to intergate into the wider society, when you yourselves are causing division and friction at a holy time for them. They dont have the media to expose you, what you say behind closed doors is obviously a lot worse and more sinister, this programme is a proof of your hidden agenda.
Its funny how the ‘Saudi version of Islam’ is now being targeted with the oil reserves running low and the British Government are being lead to face the repercussions of their actions in helping to establish the House of Saud many years ago in the first place. How they help destroy the Ottoman Empire but are all too keen to promote a more ‘Moderate- Sufi Islam?’ Ironic, to say the least. British government has a History of creating monsters that they can no longer control then they lash out at them, Saddam Hussein was just on of them.
Ok so lets just say ‘Muslims are Terrorists, extremists…blah blah’…ok so whats being done about it apart from invading countries that don’t actually have weapons of mass destructions? Programs such as this only create hostility towards Muslims. Also this is exactly the kind of fuel that adds to the fire inside of individuals who need an excuse to target England/UK because they feel they are constantly being marginalised and categorised with individuals that are not a real reflection Islam. It only leads to a lack of respect for the British Media who are adamant on personifying Islam as this Evil and imminent threat to British society. Yes there problems, which need to be identified but your programme is definitely not about helping to find a solution. It’s just a lash against the outcome of the previous programme. So well done once again you made an irresponsible programme and ignited tensions, manipulated the content and are probably very satisfied with the response, including mine.
I woud try myself to separately look at it from a diff point of view but it is hard being myself inclined towrds movement of anti-secular and anti- liberalism. It is a matter of choice i would say on how to address the true teaching of islam between moderate and extremist. When you strongly believe into something, it is hard not to look at it without a strong conviction..after all some ppl are just difficult to gain common ground.. Hence a different approach are sometime necessary. I am a Sunni Muslim but I too hv same respect to brothers who are following same belief but has a different approach in applying it. After all, the core principle of Islam are samely applied to. i hope my sharing this doesn’t side track toofar from the issue at hand here.
I went to Church on Sunday and we drank the blood of Christ. We also sang Onward Christian Soldiers, cursed the sins of homosexuals, prayed for victory in Afghanistan and Iraq.
You would have a right old time at my church - thank goodness you don’t go undercover in St Andrews!
C4 really is wasting its time on this petty pursuit of Muslims. You failed on your first Undercover series and I am afraid you’ve outed yourself as being pretty dim-witted.
Tell us something new about the Muslims and their religious beliefs which actually are almost akin to judaism and Christianity.
JM
I am an observant Muslim woman who wears full hijab and jilbab and I think it’s so great that this documentary was made. The reason being that the entire focus of the programme was on the role of Saudi Arabia in the spread of Islam in Britain and exactly which interpretation of it to spread.
Despite the valuable information uncovered by the programme about the extent of the Saudi influence - I still dont think it came close to the reality. Saudi Arabia RUNS all the Sunni Muslim countries. Without it, they would be nowhere. FACT.
It is the single biggest threat to the unity of the Muslims worldwide, far more than any ‘open enemy’ - i.e. America/West. It should and must be combatted by the Muslims but foreign interference is NOT welcome, least of all the Zionist-infested USA/sympathisers.
The one useful thing this programme did was highlight the malign influence of the Saudis so I personally appreciated that and have no problem with it and neither should any person who is honest and sincere in their outlook.
And oh yeah btw……………
forget religion and history and the truth about the world and god and helping others to make the world a better place, >>>>>>>>>>>>Lets all just live like mugs like animals in Big Brother!!!!! that will make the world a much better place and help the clamities all over the world……Pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PS, Even BBC3 is better then this channell, Atleast little britain is funny and realistic of this british society!!!!!! not just a made up fart from thin air!!?
It is a very big coincidence that this programme was shown on 01/09/08, which was the first day of Ramadan, and it was shown at 8pm, which was just close to the time that Muslims had opened their fasts.
Can Channel 4 justify any attacks of hatred, that may be caused by a few ignorant people towards Muslims?, Also I remember Channel 4 showed a programme about christian churches in Egypt, and that the coptic christians were suffering because of Muslims. I see this programme and the undercover mosque programme just picking on Islam. Also the previous undercover mosque programme was edited, because whatever a Muslim person said the few words before or after it were cut, so only the quote or negative comment was shown, not the words before or after it. You could tell also by the body language and tone.
C4.. do you really have nothing better to do than try and ridicule a religion? I am sure almost more than 90% of educated and literate people know that all religions promote peacefulness within humanity. Why don’t you try putting your efforts into something more worthwhile instead of instigating false allegations to the public?? You really have become a waste of viewing time.. and a headache!
no wonder muslims think it’s a war against Islam when we see programmes like this. total falsehood - there’s no “saudi religious establishment” theres no such thing as “wahhabism” and *yawn* segragation of women GO OUT AND SPEAK TO A WOMAN IN A VEIL STOP LYING ABOUT OUR RELIGION.
To all my dear fellow atheists out there. I suggest we all gather to devise a way to get the hell off this planet and start again somewhere else. All these religious people are clearly unreconcilable and I want no part of it anymore. Although it is they that don’t deserve this beautiful world, I’m sick of all this irrational, religious nonsense. People - wake up please! This brief spark of consciousness we have is too short and precious to be wasted living a fairytale. Thanks C4 for providing another example of how evil religion can get. Don’t ever tippy-toe around religion for fear of offence.
If you spent even a single moment filming there at any nonmuslim worshipper points’ I’m sure you’d find a similar number of individuals spouting extreme statements. But no, you chose a mosque because Muslims are a powerless minority and an easy target. In the current climate of Islamophobia this can only contribute to worsening community relations, haters.
i just want you all know that i think myself first as Human Being, and than i would be with any religion, if we should behave that we are Human Being, its enough, so never discuss about any Religion, as no one knows enough about his/her destiny
I’ll try to make it short, once again its about what certain muslims are doing here and there. Failing to realize that to judge Islam or to portray what Islam says the only thing one needs to do is to evaluate the sources i,e The Qur’an and the authentic Ahadeeth of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
If i dont know how to drive a car and bash up a Ferari hard against the walls who is to be blamed me or the car ?
When ever someone wants pick muslims for their actions just remember one thing not necessarily what they are doing is right and according to Islam no matter how practicing they look like.
How about a programme entitled Undercover Pub? What foul and extreme behaviour and gross and excessive langauge we would be likely to hear and see. The racist abuse, planning and plotting I have heard levelled against minority groups such as gays and Muslims is enough to make the skin crawl in pubs across our democratic land. Sure this material would make great viewing to many Channel 4 viewers to say the least! Even the fly on the wall would have to leave with this documentary! Grass is always greener ‘intit ‘ Tim
So channel 4 screens this around Iftar on the first day of Ramadan…a blatantly inflammatory pseudo-documentary.
And yet ‘Osama bin Everywhere: The Many Faces of Islam’, a documentary asking the many people all over the globe named Osama what they love instead of hate, has just been aired on a Monday morning when most people are at work or school. This was a wonderful, very simple premise, which emphasised that our common humanity is the one thing that will save us from violence and bigotry.
It saddens me that a national TV channel would rather place divisive and questionable material in a prime time slot, on the first day of Ramadan none the less. Surely any rational person can see how a Muslim would feel insulted and victimised by this. This is not a question of belief, but of common human decency and respect. Shame on you Channel 4; I hope you can sleep easy in your beds with the rise in violent attacks on Muslims in our streets.
On a more positive note, check out http://www.osamaloves.com, to see the human face of Islam. It’s so cute!!!
I feel these programmes serve a useful purpose. I would certainly like to understand how a person can be brainwashed to believe that if he blows himself and others up he will finish up in “paradise” where he will have access to many virgins.
Is this related to the patriarchal nature of Islam. Why on earth would a self respecting virgin want to throw herself at a spotty youth she has never met before?
Mind you it’s not too different from Christians who expect to see airborne women in white dresses playing harps when they get to their version of paradise.
And how about Sarah Palin who believes among other things in creationism(the intellectual equivalent of believing that the earth is flat!), that the invasion of Iraq was “god’s business”, and that the Deity supports the international oil companies in their desecration of Alaska.This women could have access to a nuclear
Now outrageous beliefs are fine and people should be allowed to express them as long as they leave the rest of us alone while on their spiritual journey.However suicide bombers and US politicians who think they have a hot line to God are a step too far.
Maybe we have to start looking at religious extremism as a mental health issue.
Perhaps, in Britain, we could establish “Religious Disorder Clinics” in every town where parents who recognised delusional behaviour in their progeny could take them for deprogramming. Dream on!!!
Why should anyone feel anything about the content of Channel 4’s Dispatches and Cutting Edge? It is after all, the Channel that brings you ‘Big Brother’ and such like. Not exactly good viewing for intelligent beings. Perhaps Dispatches following its own reporters producing sensationalist junk might be mildly worth watching when there’s nothing else on.
my personnal view on the credit crunch program of yours, is that you are too politic than pragmatic. what you have to remember is that any gov were at the merci of it.David CAM should or have to go to church every day to thanks god that it wasn’t him in power, at this crutial moment…. more objectivity of your in those important and well made and so nterresting prog must be a priority… or you will have to make it as a policy.. but one thing must stand is: “you are talking with intelligent poeple” and if you think about it you must change your way of saying thingss on the tvVVVVV
thanks damo
i am commenting on this is england, channel 4 24th nov , this program has to be a wind up, can the producers of the crap program take me to an area like the one portrayed and show me children dressed like this chiled, what was the invaision of the falkland’s to do with this england? the majority of english/british people do not condone any thing that was portayed in your film to-night and is was an insult to the english flag.
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