BBC defends its decision to suspend 'Kilroy' show

The row over Robert Kilroy-Silk's controversial article for a Sunday newspaper continued today as the BBC released a statement defending its decision to suspend the Kilroy programme from the air.

Today the BBC said that it felt compelled to clarify its position following newspaper coverage suggesting that the corporation had acted censoriously and removed Mr Kilroy-Silk's right to free speech by suspending his weekday morning talk show.

However, the BBC said today that the issue had "never been about freedom of speech", the corporation viewed it as a matter of "how the job of a BBC presenter carries with it responsibilities about what is written and said publicly and how this may impact on their on-air role".

The statement added: "The BBC needs to be seen to be impartial when dealing with topical and controversial issues.

"The key focus for the BBC is, given the views he has stated, whether Robert Kilroy-Silk can be seen as a suitable presenter of a daily discussion programme dealing with a range of current and controversial issues, with an audience from a wide cross-section of the public."

The BBC's statement follows on from Mr Kilroy-Silk's interview with broadcasting rival ITV which was aired last night on the 'Tonight' programme.

Last week, the corporation said that it "strongly disassociates itself" from the views expressed by Robert Kilroy-Silk in an article which he penned for The Sunday Express published on 4 January.

In the article, Mr Kilroy-Silk wrote that "Arab countries are not exactly shining examples of civilisation" and that Arabs should "go down on their knees and thank God for the munificence of the United States". Mr Kilroy-Silk went on to call Iran, Syria and Libya "vile, terrorist-supporting" regimes.

The article also accused Arabs for having "murdered more than 3,000 civilians on September 11", and for carrying out "cold-blooded killings" in Mombasa and Yemen, and for being "suicide bombers, limb-amputators, women repressors".

What Mr Kilroy-Silk viewed as the Arab world's support for Saddam Hussein was "the equivalent of all the European nations coming out in support of Hitler", he claimed.

He added: "Indeed, apart from oil - which was discovered, is produced and is paid for by the West - what do they contribute? Can you think of anything? Anything really useful? Anything really valuable? Something we really need, could not do without? No, nor can I. Indeed, the Arab countries put together export less than Finland."

Following the article, the Muslim Council of Britain contacted the BBC, the Press Complaints Commission and the Sunday Express to register complaint.

(gmcg)