Ibtisam Posted January 26, 2009 BUT the BBC is still refusing to air a DEC TV fund-raising appeal for Gaza – saying it wanted to avoid compromising public confidence in its impartiality. The DEC is an umbrella organization that represents a number of aid agencies including ActionAid, the Red Cross, Cafod, Islamic Relief and Save the Children. The BBC's refusal to broadcast a national humanitarian appeal for Gaza will leave aid agencies with a potential shortfall of millions of pounds in donations. ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 having initially allowed the BBC a veto on broadcasting the appeal have now comendably broke ranks. They will now broadcast the appeal on Monday. Even government minister Douglass Alexander has asked the BBC to reconsider. On the BBC Today program he said listeners 'would be shocked and angered at the BBC position' that their perceived 'impartiality was more in important than the suffering of the people of Gaza .' TO COMPLAIN TO THE BBC PHONE: 03700 100 222 TEXT: 03700 100 212 ONLINE: http://www.bbc. co.uk/complaints Below is a sample letter you can use as either an email or a letter. ............ ....... Dear Mark Thompson, I am shocked and appalled that the BBC has refused to air a TV fundraising appeal for Gaza , stating that the BBC wishes to 'avoid compromising public confidence in its impartiality' . Please write to me immediately explaining why the BBC has refused to support this appeal. The DEC is an umbrella organization representing a number of aid agencies including ActionAid, the Red Cross, Cafod, Islamic Relief and Save the Children. These organizations are not proposing to rebuild Gaza (which should clearly be paid for by Israel ) but to deliver urgent, life-saving humanitarian aid. These organizations are apolitical and the appeal is a response to humanitarian principles. I fail to understand why the BBC is prepared to air appeals for humanitarian crises in Burma and the Congo , but not Gaza . Why is delivering life saving aid to Palestinians a political act and life saving aid to the Burmese an apolitical act? In essence, the BBC appears to be stating that saving the lives of Palestinians is political? This position is utterly shocking and immoral. I urge you to urgently reconsider your position before more lives are lost and to write to me explaining why saving the lives of Palestinians is a 'political' act and saving the lives of other people in need is a 'humanitarian' act? Yours sincerely, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ibtisam Posted January 26, 2009 Caroline Thomson is the Chief Operating Officer of the BBC and was on BBC News 24 today attempting to justify the BBC's stance regarding the DEC appeal for Gaza. At one point, when challenged about why the BBC let other DEC appeals (Congo etc) go ahead, she suggested that this was because it involved a "major refugee crisis" Is she therefore suggesting that Gaza doesn't have a crisis? If so then she's reading off Tzipi Livni's sheet and that is not being impartial as she's siding with the Israeli argument. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ibtisam Posted January 26, 2009 The BBC’s decision to boycott the DEC Gaza appeal is a new low in the corporation’s history. The BBC’s coverage of Israel’s attack on Gaza was appallingly anodyne. Compare its output to the footage from Channel 4 News or Al-Jazeera. The bizarre decision to not participate in the broadcast is more to do with the BBC being cowed by the Israeli government and their insidious lobby than any concern about the distribution of aid or false arguments about impartiality. Not only have the Palestinians suffered a brutal attack with a series of war-crimes committed against them killing 460 children. Over 400,000 Palestinians are without water. Many more are homeless thanks to the Israelis bombing their houses. Their plight needs addressing immediately. The BBC’s suggestion is to “let the situation in Gaza go down the news agenda before reconsidering” is beyond tragedy. The other broadcasters ITV, Channel 4 and Five are all going to broadcast the appeal on Monday. Please send your much needed contribution to: Disaster Emergency Committee Gaza Appeal PO BOX 999 London EC3A 3AA www.dec.org.uk The second thing is to register your disgust by complaining to the BBC at: BBC Complaints, PO Box 1922 Glasgow G2 3WT Or Email: Send your complaint Alternatively you can call them on phone: 03700 100 222 to make your complaint and ask them to give you a call back with an appropriate response. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ibtisam Posted January 26, 2009 BBC Read about what the story actually is here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/ world/2009/jan/22/gaza-cha rity-appeal What you can do? 1) File a complaint on the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/compl aints/complaints_stage1.sh tml 2) Have your say on BBC decision (scroll to end to post a message) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi /uk/7848673.stm 3) Sign the online petition http://www.ipetitions.com/ petition/reverse_bbc_decis ion?e 4) Let's drive him mad and Cc him in mark.thompson@bbc.co.uk MAKE SURE your complaint letters are respectful, no abusive language, decent, and well constructed. We will never get what we want if we use the abusive forms. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
