BBC bosses have apologised for the repeated broadcast of potentially illegal homophobic comments on its Arabic news channel.
Bile-filled outbursts from bigoted viewers aired without question included blaming homosexuals for spreading Covid, calling gay men “deviants” who should be jailed for life and branding the LGBTQ rainbow flag a “sign of moral decline”.Veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell fumed: “They are fuelling anti-LGBT+ prejudice across the Arab world and contributing to the toxic hate that leads to LGBTs living in fear of discrimination and violent attack.”The material – shown on the licence-fee funded BBC News Arabic channel available in the UK and viewed by 42 million people worldwide – could be seen as illegal.