Radio host sacked for impersonating God

Virgin Radio UAE, the Dubai branch of Sir Richard Branson's radio brand, was launched earlier in 2008 and is run by the Arabian Radio Network.

Breakfast show host Revin John has been sacked in Dubai after he angered listeners by impersonating God in a comedy skit about a phone call with the Almighty.

Revin John had been satirising a story from the US in which God was subject to legal proceedings. In the US case, Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers sought a permanent injunction against God to prevent "death, destruction and terrorisation". A judge threw out the case, ruling that because the defendant had no address, legal papers could not be served.

Any portrayal of Allah or the Prophet Muhammad, is strictly forbidden in the Islamic faith, including on the radio. The spoof prompted complaints from listeners of "diverse faiths and nationalities", the station said.

Arabian Radio Network chief operating officer, Steve Smith, told Associated Press "He intended to be funny, not to offend anybody. However, what he did was highly offensive to the Muslim and Christian community in the United Arab Emirates."

Revin John was allowed back on air to apologise for the offence caused, before he left the station.

Revelation found to be in breach

Revelation TV is a UK Christian satellite television channel, often featuring discussion and personal view programmes which, according to Ofcom, "from time to time engage viewers with challenging debates on topical issues".

A single compliant was recently received by Ofcom alleging that an edition of the programme Vision for Israel presented by theologian, teacher and author Dan Juster, made abusive and inappropriate comments regarding Islam.

According to the Ofcom broadcast bulletine, during this hour-long programme, which compared the Christian and Muslim faiths, Dan Juster stated that it was his belief that “Islam cannot be defined as a peaceful, loving religion…Islam enforces its own viewpoint through the power of the sword through death…” and “Islam believes that violence is a legitimate means to establish and extend Islam”.

The programme was a lecture, entitled Israel, Islam and the Church, given by Dan Juster at a conference in Israel in 2007 and was the final part of a seven part series.

Revelation TV admitted that they had failed to properly screen this episode of the programme for compliance prior to transmission and that, had they done so, it would either not have been shown, or they would have arranged a discussion/debate on the issues raised.

The Ofcom decision regarding this complaint bore in mind the fact that broadcasters have a right, enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, to freedom of expression. This includes the broadcaster’s right to transmit creative material, information and ideas without interference but subject to restrictions proscribed by law. Ofcom state that "broadcasters should therefore always take care to ensure that material it transmits is in accordance with both the general law and the Code".

Ofcom found that the comments made in the programme were said in the context of a specialised religious programme made for a particularly niche and predominantly Christian audience.

Ofcom state that they have "always considered that it is possible for the follower of one religion to reject or critique other religions in the course of sermonising or proselytising and remain within the requirements for Rule 4.1. of the Broadcasting Code. However, this Code Rule requires broadcasters to exercise the proper degree of responsibility when, for example, using hyperbole which may include more extreme views which could be deemed offensive to people in the audience who hold different views and beliefs."

Ofcom found that Revelation TV, having failed to review the content of this programme prior to transmission, placed itself in a situation in which it was not able to put the potentially offensive comments into context. Ofcom therefore found that Revelation TV "did not exercise the proper degree of responsibility with respect to the content of this religious programme as required by Rule 4.1" taking the view that this was a serious compliance error which therefore placed the programme in breach of Rule 4.1 of the Code.

• Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin No. 120
• Revelation TV

Christian Radio Presenter Disciplined and Suspended

Reverend Mahboob Masih presented a weekly Christian radio show on the Glasgow radio station AWAZ FM. With a live 'talk show' format, the Saturday morning programme sought to respond to questions from listeners.

Awaz FM operates under a Community Radio licence issued to serve the Asian (Indian sub continent) population of Glasgow, delivering entertainment, community information, local, national and international news broadcasting in Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi and English. The station claims to be the voice of Glasgow’s ethnic communities and their respective faiths.

Following claims by Muslim academic Dr. Zakir Naik, well known in the Asian community for his critical comments about Christianity, that Jesus was not the only person who was ‘the way, the truth and the life’ and that every "prophet" was in their own way the way, the truth and the life, Rev. Masih's programme received a number of calls asking questions about Dr Naik’s comments.

Mahboob Masih answered these questions in moderate and temporate terms, including quoting the claims of Jesus as stated in The Bible.

Despite Rev Masih's factual and honest answers to these questions, some Muslim listeners, complained the radio station.

Management at Awaz FM asked Rev Masih to offer an apology for any offence which had been caused. But after reading out a prepared apology on air, as he had been requested, the station sought to find further fault with Mahboob Masih and removed him from the rado show.

Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Reverend Masih continues to seek answers from the radio station as to the way he has been treated and papers have been filed at the Employment Tribunal.

A formal complaint will will also be made to Ofcom that AWAZ FM is breaching the terms of its broadcasting licence.



Mahboob Masih was born in the industrial city of Faisalabad, Pakistan and raised by Christian parents in a Presbyterian Church.

After receiving his first degree in English, Journalism and Literature from the University Of Punjab, Pakistan, he worked as a language teacher in a missionary language school teaching foreign missionaries local languages enabling them to be more effective in their missionary work.

Rev Masih was dedicated to Christian ministry in his childhood and entered into full time ministry when he personally felt a strong sense of calling. He then went to Gujranwala Theological Seminary where he graduated Master of Divinity.

After his ordination he worked briefly as a minister, preaching and teaching, then taking the position of national youth co-ordinator of the Pakistani church.

In March 2000 Mahboob came to Scotland and worked as a community worker with Queen’s Park Baptist Church, at the same time working towards his M.Th (Master of Theology) degree in Biblical Interpretation from International Christian College, Glasgow.

After an attachment to Croftfoot Parish Church, Rev Masih received a call to the West Kirk, East Kilbride, where he was inducted on 1st May 2008.

• See also Apology Demanded from TV Presenter

Apology Demanded from TV Presenter

Venus TV is a satellite television station focused primarily on British Asians in the UK and Europe with the aim of combining the best Asian cultures and heritage and its connection to Asian generations in the UK.

Ashar Mall, a Pakistani Christian who who hosts a regular weekly program on Venus TV, has been asked to apologise over hosting a program on Venus TV on October 3 in which Australian based Pakistani Christian evangelist, Daniel Scott, attempted to address Muslim misconceptions about the biblical concepts of atonement, redemption and salvation.

Mr. Scott in the past was taken to court by Australian Muslims on charges of "vilification of Islam", and was found not guilty by the highest court in Australia.

Ahar Mall reported that in recent weeks his program had come under fire from Muslims as they started asking aggressive questions about the validity of the Bible, the deity of Christ and the nature of God in Christianity.

In the October 3rd programme Daniel Scott very academically dealt with such subjects without being aggressive or insulting to the religion of Islam.

However, some leaders within the Muslim community are complaining about the programmi, claiming that it contained wrong information about their religion and was anti-Islam propaganda.

In Pakistan, the Urdu language newspaper "Daily Jang" contacted community leaders and Muslim scholars in the UK and quoted them as saying that attempts to accuse the person of Prophet Muhammad, and distorting his sayings posed grave dangers to the peaceful environment of European society.

Mr. Qazi Abdul Aziz Chishti, Chief of the Central Party of Ahle-Sunat of Britain and Europe, was quoted as saying: "We outrightly condemn it. A meeting of the party would soon be convened and we would take legal action against it."

Imam Qasim, a prayer leader of the Akhir Foundation, told the Daily Jang that he disagreed with the Christian concept of salvation and demanded that "Christians should call Prophet Muhammad's name with the same degree of respect which is attached by the Muslims when they speak about Jesus Christ".

Anwar Khokhar, a leader of Tehrik-e-Insaf Britain, was quoted as having urged Muslims to write letters to register their protest with the TV channel and "concerned authority".

• See also Christian Radio Presenter Disciplined and Suspended