The PressGazette (UK) reports:
Ofcom [the UK communications regulatory body] has fined an Islamic TV channel £85,000 after it broadcast statements saying it was acceptable to murder anyone who disrespects the Prophet Mohammed.
The decision appears to be the one that starts on p. 18 of this document; Ofcom found that Noor violated the prohibition (Rule 3.1) on “Material likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder must not be included in television or radio services,” and the mandate (Rule 4.1) that “Broadcasters must exercise the proper degree of responsibility with respect to the content of programmes which are religious programmes.” Noor is “a digital satellite television channel that broadcasts programmes about Islam in a number of languages, including English, Urdu and Punjabi,” which “can be received in the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia”; the program, mostly in Urdu, involved a presenter (Allama Muhammad Farooq Nazimi) answering questions about Islam:
At approximately one hour and 18 minutes into the programme Mr Nazimi answered a question from a caller, who was identified as “brother Yasir Nahif” (“Mr Nahif”), who asked:
“What is the punishment for the individual who shows disrespect for Prophet Muhammad?”
In response to the question from Mr Nahif, we noted the following remarks made by Mr Nazimi:
“There is no disagreement about this [the punishment]; there is absolutely no doubt about it that the punishment for the person who shows disrespect for the Prophet is death. No one [among the Islamic scholars] disagrees about this. No one disagrees about this. The Koran, hadeeth [orally transmitted quotes of Prophet Muhammad], the actions of the companions of Prophet Muhammad, all testify to this [punishment] and there is no room for doubt in it. Whoever shows disrespect for Prophet Muhammad will be given death penalty. The procedure for carrying out the death penalty is that if there is an Islamic government operating in a country, then the Islamic government will carry out the implementation of this punishment to the one who shows disrespect for the Prophet. However, if there are no Islamic laws [implemented], if Islamic Law is not being abided by, if the Islamic Law is being shredded and is in tatters – and this environment prevails in Pakistan, then [drops the sentence]. You saw a few months ago, a man specifically said that the Islamic law which was especially designed to protect the sanctity of Prophet Muhammad, whom Allah praises and protects, was a black law. By saying so, he slighted the law and committed insolence against Prophet Muhammad. Then what happened? You saw what happened. The man who did it [killed the Governor] is Mumtaz Hussein. He is a Ghazi and we can absolutely not say that his act was a wrong act [because] the Koran and hadeeth [orally transmitted traditions], testify that the punishment of the one who shows disrespect for the Prophet is death.”
Ofcom also noted the following statements made by Mr Nazimi:
“However, I will state again that it was the duty of the government [to execute the Governor] but the government was not carrying out this duty. The government was supporting him [the Governor]. The government was providing support to him. Obviously, the consequence had to be that which happened. If this will happen [i.e. if the Prophet will be allegedly slighted] then the slaves of Mustafa [Muhammad] cannot tolerate. A true slave, a true lover [of Prophet Muhammad], if he finds one disrespecting and slighting his Lord [Muhammad] in front of him, and he remains quiet and tolerates it, then surely he loses his faith. We are not saying that this should be done. We say one should obey the law. However, if one is not abiding by the law [of Muhammad’s sanctity], if the one [the Governor] supposed to protect the law [of Muhammad’s sanctity] is tearing it apart, then the same consequences [i.e. murder] will follow. I salute Mumtaz Hussein Ghazi [the assassin of Governor Taseer] in the whole world, and I salute others such as Ghazi Ilm Deen, and other lovers of Mustafa [Muhammad] who sacrificed their lives to protect the sanctity of Prophet Muhammad, and who sacrificed all they had to protect the sanctity of their Lord. We consider it a matter of pride to line our eyes with the dust lying at their [the assassins’] feet and we salute those who protect the sanctity of our Lord [Muhammad] and we pray for ourselves too, O Allah, accept us among those who protect the sanctity of our beloved [Muhammad]. There is no privilege in the world greater than this that the Exalted Allah should select and accept one to [kill to] protect the sanctity of our beloved Lord [Muhammad].”
The presenter concluded his answer to Mr Nahif’s question as follows:
“No one can be more fortunate than the one who loses his life, wealth and children for the sake of glorifying our beloved Lord whom Allah praises and protects. I say the aim of establishing Noor TV, and the slogan of the founder of Noor TV, is the protection of the sanctity of Prophet Muhammad. When we say it, and it is the particular slogan of the honourable Pir Sahib: Elevate the lowly to heights through the power of love Illuminate the world through the love of Muhammad. Who does it mean? It means in the whole world, there should be slaves of Mustafa [Muhammad] everywhere, and disrespectful people should be eliminated. One has to choose one’s own method. Our way is the peaceful way but when someone crosses the limits, faith-base emotions are instigated…The mission of our life is to protect the sanctity of our beloved Lord. May Allah accept us wherever there is a need [to kill a blasphemer].We are ready and should be ready at all times [to kill a blasphemer].