Ken Loach, Riz Ahmed, Mike Leigh and More Sign Open Letter in Support of Pulled BBC Gaza Documentary: It’s ‘Politically Motivated Censorship’

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A collective of British film and TV creators have penned an assertive letter to the leadership at BBC, expressing their disapproval over the corporation’s choice to take down the documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone” from iPlayer.

Prominent figures among the signatories are Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Gary Lineker, and Riz Ahmed. In total, there are over 450 individuals who have signed this letter, a fact that EbMaster comprehends.

The BBC Two broadcast on February 17 showcased a documentary about 14-year-old Abdullah Al-Yazouri, who captured daily life in Gaza. However, the program was recently removed from the streaming service following disclosures that Abdullah’s father, Dr. Ayman Al-Yazouri, serves as deputy minister of agriculture in the Hamas-administered government of Gaza.

It is known that Hamas, a violent group, carried out the October 7th assault in Israel, leading to the loss of approximately 1,200 lives and igniting the conflict in Gaza. This prolonged struggle has reportedly claimed over 48,000 Palestinian lives as per the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs. The BBC, upon deciding to withdraw the documentary, admitted that they had neglected to disclose the connection of their narrator to Hamas and promised a more thorough investigation with Hoyo Films, based in London.

The open correspondence, penned to BBC chair Samir Shah, director general Tim Davie, and chief content officer Charlotte Moore, labels the elimination as “politically biased suppression” and upholds the documentary as “a crucial aspect of journalism, providing a seldom-seen viewpoint on the day-to-day lives of Palestinian children enduring extraordinary conditions.

The signatories strongly reject the conflation of civil service roles in Gaza with terrorism, calling it “both factually incorrect and dehumanizing.” The letter specifically addresses Dr. Al-Yazouri’s position, describing it as “a civil service role concerned with food production” and arguing that assumptions about Palestinians in administrative positions are rooted in “racist tropes.”

A large part of the letter emphasizes protecting Abdullah, the adolescent storyteller, from potential harm. The media experts contend that children should not bear adult responsibilities for their actions, and using family ties to undermine a child’s credibility in court is both unethical and hazardous.

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The letter devotes much attention to ensuring Abdullah, the teenage narrator, remains safe. Media experts believe that children should not face adult repercussions for their actions, and exploiting family ties to tarnish a child’s court testimony is unethical and risky.

The letter conveys concern over what it terms as “the involvement of politically biased figures” and cautions about the potential ramifications for television broadcasting in the U.K. It explicitly mentions BBC’s International Protection Policy, implying that airing unsubstantiated allegations concerning Abdullah’s family might subject him to threats or injury.

The coalition advises the BBC not to yield to efforts aimed at permanently pulling down or excessively discrediting the documentary. They believe that giving in would imply that the narratives of Palestinian children are acceptable only if they meet random, unjust standards.

The letter additionally offers support for the documentarians, Jamie Roberts and Yousef Hammash from Hoyo Films, stating that they are skilled journalists with a strong focus on ensuring the wellbeing of their cast and crew members during production.

The document was taken down from iPlayer a week ago after a letter signed by 45 figures in the Jewish entertainment industry – including Tracy-Ann Oberman, who stars in “Friday Night Dinner”, Neil Blair of J.K. Rowling’s literary agency The Blair Partnership, former BBC One chief Danny Cohen, and producer Leo Pearlman – requested its removal and sought clarity about the broadcaster’s review procedures.

Originally, the BBC declared: “The documentary ‘Gaza: Surviving a Warzone’ presents significant narratives that we believe need to be shared – those of children living in Gaza. However, since there have been numerous concerns about this production, we are currently re-examining it with our production company. As a result, the program will not be accessible on iPlayer during this process.

UK’s culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has expressed her serious worry regarding the documentary in question. She stated to the BBC that it’s crucial for the ongoing investigation by the BBC to clarify what transpired and who was aware at each stage. She also emphasized her expectation to be updated on the findings of their investigation.

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2025-02-26 17:20