Scared witless

The Times reports that comedian Ben Elton has said the BBC is too "scared" to allow jokes about Islam.

Asked about the new law on religious hatred, and whether too much deference was being shown to religious people, he said: “I think it all starts with people nodding whenever anyone says, ‘As a person of faith . . .’

“And I believe that part of it is due to the genuine fear that the authorities and the community have about provoking the radical elements of Islam. There’s no doubt about it, the BBC will let vicar gags pass but they would not let imam gags pass.”

He said the BBC might pretend that this hesitancy had something to do with moral sensibilities. “But it isn’t. It’s because they’re scared.”

Elton said the situation was so bad that even everyday sayings were frowned upon: “I wanted to use the phrase ‘Mohammed came to the mountain’ and everybody said, ‘Oh, just don’t! Just don’t! Don’t go there!’”