In a now-deleted Tweet, BBC Asian network asked viewers if they ‘respected the decision’ of a teenager who fled Saudi Arabia saying she would be killed for renouncing Islam. The Tweet read, ’18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun fled Saudi Arabia as she said her family would kill her for choosing to leave Islam – do you respect her decision?’ The Tweet was rapidly picked up by Media Guido – and the BBC posted an edited version minus the part about ‘respecting her decision.’
Irate readers responded on Twitter with comments such as ‘You’re a waste of taxpayer’s money,’ and the BBC rapidly deleted the Tweet and apologised. A BBC Spokesperson said: “We accept that the original wording of our tweet did not reflect the question being posed on air and was open to misinterpretation. ‘We took action to remove the tweet and clarify the question, which was aimed at Asian Network listeners who had faced their own issues regarding family and religion.
On the programme the audience responded positively to the debate topic and shared powerful stories of bein’g in similar situations regarding family and religion issues in the UK.’ BBC Asian Network previously stirred up controversy with a Tweet asking, ‘What is the right punishment for blasphemy?’ [Metro.co.uk] Read more
