ISIS-supporting former boxing champ Anthony Smalls will share house with ten other’s for Muslims Like US
A TV boss behind a BBC show dubbed Muslim Celebrity Big Brother has defended the decision to include an acolyte of convicted hate cleric Anjem Choudary.
Muslims Like Us places ten Muslims ‘with contrasting world views’ – including ISIS-supporting former boxing champ Anthony Smalls, – now known as Abdul Haq – in a house together.
In the show, which airs on BBC 2 on Monday and Tuesday night at 9pm, Haq is seen making sexist and homophobic comments, and the BBC has been criticised for giving him air time.
But explaining the decision to include Haq, show boss Rich McKerrow from Love Productions said: “Haq holds some pretty questionable views [and] we thought very hard about putting him in.
“We thought about it a lot, we spoke to the BBC a lot, we talked to the organisations we worked with [on the show] and we felt it was very important to include that voice.
“But also more important to see that voice challenged, as it was, and challenged by Muslims.
“Because that’s the great lie, that Muslims and the Muslim community aren’t challenging those voices, because they are, in a major way, and that’s what this programme shows.
“On my part there was no thought about not including him, and nor did the BBC.
“They are ultimately responsible about broadcasting it, so there were serious conversations.
“But everyone stuck together. His voice is a legitimate voice, and is a voice that is challenged.
“Also, what is interesting is while he makes incredibly offensive remarks by ‘normal’ standards, but as is appreciated by people in there, he’s quite a sensitive guy.
“It’s not communicated in a really aggressive way, that you might stereotype. So I like that it breaks stereotypical perceptions.”
McKerrow said he anticipated that the show could receive complaints, but speaking to Tom Latchem on talkSPORT’s Extra Time, he added: “There does seem to be an element that complaints go hand-in-hand with making groundbreaking television.
“I think that some people complain as an automatic go to, and it’s a real problem with our culture.
“I don’t know you can ever really welcome complaints. It’s not an enjoyable process to go through.”
McKerrow also rejected the comparisons to Big Brother. He said: “It’s nothing like Big Brother at all.
“There are no games, or tricks, they leave the house which you’re not allowed to do on Big Brother and it is allowed to unfold in much more of a documentary spirit.
“I like to use the term ‘constructed documentary’ because this is made with a documentary sprit.
“The term ‘reality TV’ is now used as a derogatory, lazy form to attack people.”