The BBC was accused of spreading “Islamist propaganda“ after it described those who converted to Islam as “reverts“ in one of its articles.
The term “revert“, which is controversial even among Muslims, was used throughout an article titled “Eid celebration 'can be lonely' for Muslim converts,“ which detailed the stories of Muslim converts as they celebrated Eid al-Fitr, a holiday that marks the end of the month of Ramadan. The article was published last April but was amended after it sparked criticism over its use of the term.
At the end of the article, the BBC said the article “originally included several references to 'reverts' when referring to individuals who have converted to Islam, reflecting the language used by the people we spoke to,“ adding that they amended the article to instead refer to those they featured in their story as "converts,” which they said is “is a more generally understood description.“
Some Muslims refer to those who converted to Islam as “reverts,“ based on the belief that everyone is born a Muslim and those who embrace Islam are returning to their “natural state.“ This belief is often derived from the theological principle of fitra, the idea that all humans are innately predisposed to recognize the oneness of Allah.
By this principle, one does not simply become Muslim, but they “revert“ to their natural state, hence the term. However, the term is not universally used in the Muslim world, and it has even been associated with Islamic fundamentalism.
Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative MP who previously served as the UK’s Minister of State for Security, said the BBC’s use of the term “revert“ was “sectarianism“ that had “no place on the BBC.“
“Calling converts ‘reverts’ is ideology, not fact,“ Tugendhat said. “It’s claiming we’re all ‘originally’ Muslim and those who convert are rediscovering their faith. That’s Islamist propaganda and has no place on the BBC.“
“Mainstream Islam is clear on conversion as a route to salvation in keeping with other faiths. This is not the same.“ Tugendhat, who also has a master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Cambridge, added, "I don’t object to theological language, I object to the BBC claiming it is the appropriate term.”
An update was provided on the article on April 16th, where the BBC said that they made revisions on April 5th to instead use the term “converts“ to refer to those who converted to Islam. The piece reported that some converts to Islam may feel lonely during Ramadan and Eid, where Muslim families usually gather to celebrate.
It also highlighted the work of the New Muslim Circle charity, based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, which taught converts how to pray and organize get-togethers.
Dr Taj Hargey of the Oxford Institute for British Islam warned that the term should never be used.
“It is used by Islamic fundamentalists in their propaganda that everyone is born Muslim,“ Hargey said. “It is utter tosh and the correct term to use is ‘convert.’“
“It is concerning that the BBC has chosen to use this divisive term that most Muslims would not use, only extremists and supremacists,“ he added.
This is not the first time the BBC has been caught in a controversy for allegedly promoting Islamist propaganda. A documentary about the war in Gaza, titled Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, was pulled after the narrator was revealed to be the son of a Hamas official.
