South African Broadcast Commission Rejects Complaint Against Radio Islam

On Tuesday, South Africa's Broadcasting Complaints Commission dismissed a complaint against Radio Islam that had been filed by a member of the Jewish community. In I and Apolakow v. Radio Islam, (BCCSA, Aug. 11, 2009), the Commission held that broadcasts which, among other things, said that Jews could not be trusted and that Zionists control the Western media, had not overstepped the bounds of bona fide religious speech. The Commission said: "Ultimately, to decide otherwise, would amount to a rejection of the inherent and often vehement differences among religions and other similar viewpoints and expressions of opinion as protected by section 15 of the Constitution." BCCSA also published a summary of its decision, and South Africa's Star reported on it yesterday.