For many years, Islam Channel has been under sustained attack from elements of the UK media. The most recent episode began with an online article published by the Telegraph on 15th March 2025 under the headline: “Muslim TV channel watched by millions facing Ofcom investigation’. This claim, repeated in print in the following day’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper, was and is completely false and entirely fabricated. Islam Channel has not been contacted at all by Ofcom, regarding any of the allegations in these articles, nor has Ofcom launched an investigation (an official process which would have been listed publicly in its regular bulletin).
There is no Ofcom investigation but an alleged complaint made by one individual
The article catalogues a litany of extremely serious accusations against Islam Channel including that the “channel has been accused of glorifying violent Islamist movements, inciting hostility against the West and portraying jihadist causes in a sympathetic light” and gives the impression that these allegations are the subject of an Ofcom investigation, which is not the case. In fact, a close reading of the article makes it clear that the actual situation is that one controversial and little-known self-proclaimed “Imam”, has allegedly told the Telegraph that he has made a complaint to Ofcom. Given that there were 69,080 such complaints made to Ofcom in 2024, this hardly seems newsworthy. This individual has not shared the details of his alleged complaint with Islam Channel.
False claims spread by other news outlets without checks
The Telegraph’s false claims were almost immediately parroted by the Daily Mail on its own website the following day, 16th March under the headline: ‘Islam Channel facing Ofcom investigation over claims it incites extremism and breaches rules on impartiality’. Mail online had contacted Islam Channel for comment on that Sunday morning, waiting less than 2 hours for a response, before rehashing the Telegraph’s false and misleading claims.
GB News makes defamatory comments about Islam Channel
The Mail story was, in turn, picked up by GB News where further defamatory comments were made, including by GB News Presenter Carey Marx, who made this outrageous, false and defamatory statement about Islam Channel: “They support terrorism, they don’t like Jews and Christians and you would think that would be enough, but apparently it’s not….. They don’t hate them enough yet.”
Double standards in the UK media
This coverage is in sharp contrast to the Telegraph’s story about an actual Ofcom investigation into an episode of GB News on 17th March, about which Ofcom had received at least 1200 complaints, described as ‘a new record’. This was published online under the headline: “Far-Left campaigners accused of attacking GB News”; “TV channel says pressure groups are threatening free speech as Ofcom investigates”.
Inciting anti-Muslim hatred
Readers of the Telegraph and Mail have left shocking comments under the articles. Those from Telegraph readers include:
“There is no Islam without violent jihad.”
“What we need is a party, left, centre or right that has a policy of returning all the migrants and their family members who have arrived since 1970.”
Mail readers make the following comments, some inciting violence against Muslims:
“you need YOGI the chief minister of UP state in India where he demolishes the houses of all islamist culprits”
“I see many more of them than I’d like to on the streets. Last thing I would want is them on the TV as well.”
“All makes sense, Ramadan Islam channel , let’s all attack them now and make a scene..!!
“And we’ll also be as equally shocked when the growing ranks of the enemy within decide the UK is an Islamic state and decide to kill any who don’t agree. Tick tock, tick tock . . .”“This isn’t free speech, it is incitement to violence and hatred and it is what all slims are like.”
Fake news leads to real-world harm to Muslims
These false claims about Islam Channel have led to many anti-Muslim comments spreading on social media and other online platforms, no doubt causing real-life harm to Muslims. Islam Channel has already been contacted by advertisers and commercial partners concerned by these false allegations. Moreover, there have been multiple reports that anti-Muslim hate crime is currently at a record high.
Islam Channel has sought legal advice and has reported those who instigate and spread malicious, misleading and untrue claims to the appropriate authorities.
Notes for editors:
Islam Channel has been broadcasting worldwide in English from London since 2004 and was joined by Islam Channel Urdu in 2015 and Islam Channel Bangla in 2022. Established at the heart of the British and global Muslim community, Islam Channel is a trusted source of religious knowledge and news and a cherished hub for entertainment, culture and children’s programming. According to BARB data, combined with Home Office figures, Islam Channel reaches up to 60% of British Muslims. It broadcasts in English to over 136 countries worldwide. In the UK it can be found on Sky 737, Virgin 838, and Freeview 264 and watched online and on its state-of-the-art apps. In 2024, Islam Channel surpassed 600 million total impressions across its digital and social media platforms.
