From the Britz site:
His sister Nasima is a medical student in Leeds who becomes increasingly alienated and angered by Britain's foreign and domestic policy after witnessing at first hand the relentless targeting of her Muslim neighbours and peers.
With action set in Pakistan, Eastern Europe, London and Leeds, both feature-length episodes detail a tragic sequence of events from two distinct perspectives. At the heart of this thought-provoking drama is a revealing examination of British Muslim life under current anti-terror legislation. Britz ultimately asks whether the laws we think are making us safer, are actually putting us in greater danger.
Apparently, they need Muslim leaders to point out that understanding terrorism and promoting it are not what Britain needs today.
Islamic leaders last night called on Channel 4 to cancel a film about a British girl who is driven to become the UK's first female suicide bomber.
Britz, to be broadcast on Wednesday, tells the fictional story of a British-born Muslim who becomes part of a terror cell that sets out to slaughter hundreds of people.
Several of the characters are portrayed as associates of the real perpetrators of the July 2005 London bombings, in which 52 people died.
The film has also attracted criticism for labelling the police racist bullies after would-be suicide bomber Nasima, played by Manjinder Virk, is force-fed a ham sandwich by an officer.
Last night, Kurshid Ahmed, chairman of the British Muslim Forum, said: "A film which attempts to glamorise or rationalise the actions of suicide bombers has no place on our TV screens.
"Channel 4 should be working with us to defeat terrorism and extremism, not sowing hate and division in our communities."
Channel 4 says Britz is an attempt to understand what could lead a second-generation Muslim to turn against the country of their birth.
It blames Labour's "draconian" antiterror laws and foreign policy for alienating the Muslim community.
Director Peter Kosminsky denied radicalised Muslims would feel vindicated by the film.
"I hope that nobody who sees it would think there is anything triumphant or joyful about Nasima's journey.
"The point of the piece was to make non-Muslims know what it feels like to be Muslims in Britain today."
Sources: Daily Mail (English), Channel 4 (English) h/t Hodja (Danish)
2 comments:
So then the point of the film is to let "non Muslims" in the UK know what it's like to be a "Muslim in the UK today"!
How extraordinary!
What about a film to let MUSLIMS know what it's like being a NON MUSLIM in the UK today?
As a law abiding, white, Christian male, born in the UK who can trace his ancestors back to Kent to at least the 18th century what is it like for me living in the UK today?
Well, I have seen my local town change beyond recognition over the past ten years. Whereas you were hard pressed to see a Muslim ten years ago now I have to see Muslim women in veils, Hijabs and Burquas on a daily basis. Knowing that the wearing of such garbs is meant to be a "radical" and "political" statement to people like me. That is, "up yours whitey, we're here to stay and one day will take over your towns and country"!
Then whenever I travel abroad I am treated like a potential terrorist as I pass through the security checks - even though everyone knows the vast majority of terrorists are not white, Christian men but are Muslims.
What about our Christian heritage and festivals? Even these are affected by the presence of Muslims in MY COUNTRY! Town centres often refuse to celebrate "Christmas" with lights etc for fear of "upsetting Muslims"!? Our school children are more likely to celebrate Eide than Christmas just to placate Muslims.
I could go on and on.... So then, far from radical Muslims moaning about their lot in the UK how about my lot as a law abiding citizen? Frankly, if Muslims want someone to blame maybe they should look to their own radicalised community first. At the end of the day the UK is at the moment a free country and thus Muslims are free to leave and live in some Islamic Utopia like Iran, Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan any day they choose!
I watched Britz last night and the night before and have to say that it was a fantastic programme up until the last minute! The programme featured a gripping story and great acting and would have reached the 'perfect' ending at the moment when the 'static' came on screen just after she had flipped the switch on her actimel yoghurt bomb. There was absolutely no need to play the suicide bombers video at the end of the programme and I found this really offensive as it seemed to be justifying the actions of blowing up innocent people and the video was also like an advert to influence anybody watching. I can't tell you how angry that made me feel....And what's with the statistics??? Anybody who's not entirely stupid will know that most statistics are completely made up and you cannot gain proper statistcs without including every single individual in your survey. Ask yourself "Was I asked my opinion as part of the survey that produced these statistics?"
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