14 July 2006

Please complain about an outrageous, racist comment by actress and columnist Maureen Lipman on BBC 1's This Week programme of 13 July, in which she said: "Human life is not cheap to the Israelis, and human life on the other side is quite cheap actually..."

Of the This Week team - Andrew Neil, Dianne Abbott and Michael Portillo - only Abbott responded, calling the comment "unfair", before Neil quickly moved the discussion along.

Please let the BBC know that such racism is unacceptable, and that you demand an official statement from the corporation condemning Lipman's comment and apologising for the offence caused.

You can listen again by clicking on "latest programme" at the top-right-hand side of the following page:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/this_week/5176894.stm

You can call the BBC complaints department on 08700 100 222.  You can write to BBC Complaints, PO BOX 1922, Glasgow G2 3WT. And you can complain online at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/make_complaint_step1.shtml

The BBC complaints guide is at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_process.shtml

You can also email thisweek@bbc.co.uk.

Please inform AMW at info@arabmediawatch.com of your complaints and responses, and forward this Action Alert as widely as possible.