https://arab.news/p5vtd
- Zara Mohammed, the first female head of the MCB, had appeared on the “Woman’s Hour” show on BBC Radio 4
- In an interview with Barnett, Mohammed was asked repeatedly about the lack of female imams in the UK
LONDON: A video clip taken from an interview of the newly elected secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has been removed by the BBC after complaints that a presenter had “bullied” her.
Zara Mohammed, 29, the first female head of the MCB, had appeared on the “Woman’s Hour” show on BBC Radio 4.
In an interview with host Emma Barnett, known for her robust style of questioning, Mohammed was asked repeatedly about the lack of female imams operating in the UK, citing the increased prevalence of female priests and rabbis in the Church of England and the UK’s Jewish community.
Mohammed, who had previously stated that her vision for her time as secretary-general was to “continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse and representative body,” refused to answer the question directly four times, saying that female roles in leading religious activity were “not within [the] parameters” of her position.
The segment was clipped and posted on an official Twitter account by the BBC but has now been taken down after complainants said they felt Mohammed had been “attacked” in the interview.
A spokesperson for the corporation said: “We have removed a short social media clip from the ‘Woman’s Hour’ Twitter feed as it didn’t reflect the full interview, during which Zara Mohammed was given the opportunity to discuss and comment on a range of topics relevant to her new role as the secretary-general of the MCB.
“The interview is available online, covering the positive reaction to Ms. Mohammed’s appointment, her previous leadership experience with the MCB, her vision for the future and the relationship between the MCB and the UK government.
“‘Woman’s Hour’ has a long history of challenging interviews with politicians, community and faith leaders about women’s representation.”
The MCB, an umbrella group of over 500 organizations, is Britain’s largest democratic Muslim body.