The leftmost picture of Kabir Ahmed was tweeted after his death was announced and the righthand picture shows him arriving at Derby Crown Court in 2012. (Photo courtesy: PA)
BBC under fire for ‘ISIS is fun’ interview
Kabir Ahmed compared fighting with ISIS to the Call of Duty video game
The UK’s BBC Radio 1 recently came under fire for airing an interview in which a British fighter who joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) said combat was “fun” and compared it to the Call of Duty video game, British media reported.
Regulation body, Ofcom, said the comments made by Kabir Ahmed, who allegedly killed himself in a suicide bomb attack last week, had “clear potential for causing offence” and shouldn’t have been aired.
The watchdog also said that the BBC should have warned authorities about its content given the growing number of citizens travelling to join ISIS.
In the interview, Ahmed said: “It’s actually quite fun, better than, what’s that game called, Call of Duty? It’s like that, but really, you know, 3D. You can see everything’s happening in front of you, know. It’s real, you know what I mean?”
“This idea of us wanting to go back and plot terror attacks in our own countries and so on and so forth, I think is absolute rubbish,” Ahmed, who is also known by his nom de guerre of Abu Sumayyah al-Britani, said in the interview which was aired last June.
The BBC Trust has also criticized the airing of Ahmed’s interview saying it was harmful and offensive.
The governing body of the BBC said that the program should have criticized the joining of ISIS instead of portraying it as “quite fun.”
The Newsbeat has a “responsibility to protect children and young people from unsuitable content,” BBC Trust said.
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