Radio station could face sanctions after broadcasting 'jihadi lyrics'
11 August 2021, 08:28 | Updated: 11 August 2021, 08:42
A Sheffield radio station could face sanctions after it broadcast a chant containing "jihadi lyrics", according to the broadcast regulator Ofcom.
Four complaints were made to the watchdog after Link FM broadcast a "Nasheed" in two breakfast shows in December 2020.
Described as a "call to action", the Nasheed was called “Jundallah” and contained "jihadi lyrics" that "promoted terrorism", listeners said.
The station's licensee said it understood a breach had taken place and apologised for what it said was a mistake.
An Ofcom report said it understood Nasheeds to be a "well-established expression of Islamic faith" which have a "benign religious message, and no violent overtones".
But it added that a recent form of the chant, called "Jihadi Nasheed", has a "war-like tone and tenor and can be used to create a violent Jihadi narrative".
Ofcom said it translated the lyrics of the Nasheed and concluded it breached two of its codes in the broadcast code.
Ofcom said: "Having carefully assessed the lyrics... we considered it communicated an overarching message to listeners which sought to condone, promote and encourage violent Jihad as a legitimate expression of Islamic faith and glorify an ideology associated with Jihad, including martyrdom.
"Nasheeds which contain messages like those in Jundallah are used by terrorist groups to attract potential recruits.
"Ofcom considered the content therefore amounted to an indirect call to action which could be likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or lead to disorder."
The regulator added: "Therefore, our decision is that we are minded to consider these breaches for the imposition of a statutory sanction."
The Pakistan Muslim Centre (PMC), the licensee of the radio station, said it wholeheartedly (apologised) for the error and understood a breach of the code had occurred.
The PMC added it was an "unfortunate incident... and one we hope not to repeat again in the future".
It said the presenter, who did not speak Arabic, was "extremely sorry and horrified" after reading Ofcom's translation, and it took the presenter's explanation in good faith. The Nasheed had not been checked before it was broadcast, the PMC said.
It concluded it did not need to report what happened to the police or Prevent. It declined to comment further.
