Muslim to head up BBC religious programmes

The BBC has broken with tradition by appointing a Muslim for the first time to be the head of its religious programming, despite the concerns of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The new head of religious programmes at the BBC will be Aaqil Ahmed, who made religious programmes for Channel 4.

Earlier this year the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, had a meeting with Mark Thompson, the Director General of the BBC, in which he said he was concerned about the idea of appointing a Muslim to the position.

The Archbishop also warned Mr Thompson about sidelining the Christian audience. Both Dr Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, have spoken out about the way Christianity can face indifference and even hostility from the government and other institutions.

Last year the BBC also appointed Tommy Nagra, a Sikh, to present Songs of Praise, which is the BBC’s most popular and longest running religious programme.

A Church of England spokesman said of the appointment of Mr Ahmed, “We will judge the new man by his output rather than his label,” reports the Daily Mail.

Christina Rees, a member of the Archbishops’ Council, said, “Aaqil Ahmed is a respected professional who has an established record of producing programmes on religion and ethics.

“It is important that the Christian faith continues to receive coverage that accurately reflects its significance in the lives of most people who live in Britain, the overwhelming majority of whom regard themselves as Christian.”

In the past Mr Ahmed has campaigned for a higher Islamic presence in the media. He is also a trustee of the Runnymede Trust, which promotes multiculturalism.