BBC Accused of ‘Islamist Propaganda’ After Calling Converts ‘Reverts’

The BBC was accused of spreading “Islamist propaganda“ after it described those
who converted to Islam as “reverts“ in one of its articles.

> https://twitter.com/DrewPavlou/status/1908446868985831848

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.

> https://twitter.com/Hossein_a_/status/1908450745906589906

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.“

> https://twitter.com/Migrate_To_Mars/status/1908629514780852539

“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.

> https://twitter.com/lohita89/status/1909052195338584097

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.