29 June 2009
The Council for Arab British Understanding welcomed the decision of the BBC to revise an article by Paul Wood, its Middle East correspondent, removing language that the Council had complained was inappropriate and objectionable.
In the original article published in March 2009 that the BBC has now amended, Wood wrote:
"As it is understood in this part of the world, that means bludgeoning your enemies into submission, causing enough pain that they will hesitate to come back for more. In fact, this traditional Middle Eastern way of doing things was given a modern twist. Israel now had a new military doctrine: "go nuts" once and your enemies will fear to strike again."
The amended article can be viewed at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7940624.stm
The language used in the original article about Israel's assault on Gaza suggested in CAABU's view that the Middle East was historically uniquely prone to acts of mindless violence, reinforcing a dangerous and inaccurate stereotype. Israel's actions were certainly devastating and brutal but not indicative of a regional tradition of violence.
CAABU director and Arab Media Watch adviser Chris Doyle had written to the BBC complaining that the article "associates a violent strategy of bludgeoning ones enemies into submission as something that is specific and 'traditional' to the Middle East. We find this objectionable, partial and inaccurate to associate this uniquely with any single region, or people…It is a particularly sensitive issue as many people in the Middle East are very tired of the stereotype that they are predisposed to acts of indiscriminate violence. We feel it was very unfortunate therefore that Paul Wood chose not to revise his text which remains online."
Doyle first wrote to Wood on 20 May 2009. The Editorial Complaints Unit confirmed that BBC News online confirmed that it had changed the article on 29 June 2009.
For further information and interviews please contact the CAABU office 0207 832 1321 - doylec@caabu.org. Doyle can be reached on 07968 040 281.