Selectivity

Selectivity

>> SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2009

I don't recall the BBC giving much attention to the banning of Facebook by the Iranian regime. However, all today they have been supposedly reporting on a supposed murder in Iran supposedly inspired by Agatha Christie books. No context is given for this story- it's seen as a curiosity and also a news story as "She has been described as Iran's first female serial killer". She has? By whom exactly we don't know. To me this seems all too convenient for Mr Ahmadinejad as he approaches an election. "See what those dogs have done to us again", you can imagine his media whispering in the public ear (or Ahmadinejad declaring in public). An excuse for censorship. A means to blame the West for their society's ills. A symbol of the encroachment of western 'diseases'.  Yet the BBC's man in Tehran, John Leyne, sees fit to report it deadpan, "Just like Agatha Christie's villains, she made careful plans to conceal her crimes". Yeah, that's right John, only Agatha Christie villains ever plan their crimes carefully. It must be her fault (I mean Christie's, obviously). Oh, and notice the absence of the word "allegedly". Perhaps in Iran that's not necessary.

DEMONISING ROMAN CATHOLICISM..

I'm not a Roman Catholic but I am sure that any RC who is currently listening to the Nicky Campbell "Big Question" on BBC1 will be outraged at the deliberate manner in which the Church is being demonised following the revelations of abuse carried out by priests in Ireland. The child abuse in the Irish Republic is, of course, utterly appalling but let's be clear about it - the BBC is jumping on this one in it's ..shall we call it a crusade? ... to marginalise all forms of the Christian faith. I look forward to Nicky Campbell running an item on Islam's paedophile origins and it's continued abuse of boys and girls. That should be a must watch programme.

CAT ON MARRS...

Just spotted he who was Cat Stevens now Yusef Islam on the Andrew Marr show, giving us a song for a Sunday morn. Wonder if Andrew asked Yusef if he is still a profound anti-Semite and Hamas enthusiast? The BBC has never met a Jew-hater they didn't like.