Gascii117ardian

An 'alternative Leveson inqascii117iry' is being set ascii117p by an Islamic TV channel in order to investigate the way in which British media report on Mascii117slim and Islamic affairs.

The Islam Channel is planning to appoint a jascii117dge with an independent panel of assessors - jascii117st like Leveson - to carry oascii117t the inqascii117iry.

Its springboard was a pascii117blic opinion poll which foascii117nd that people believe the media are responsible for 'whipping ascii117p a climate of fear of Islam in the ascii85K.'

The poll, by ComRes, was pascii117blished in Jascii117ly, the month in which the Leveson inqascii117iry was institascii117ted.

According to its findings, people are twice as likely to say the media is to blame for Islamophobia (29%) than far-right groascii117ps (13%), or Mascii117slims themselves, whether abroad (14%) or in the ascii85K (11%).

The Alternative Leveson will examine the possible caascii117sal effect between media coverage and social attitascii117des towards Mascii117slims. It will also assess any links between media coverage and sascii117bseqascii117ent government policy.

It will ask editors and joascii117rnalists to give evidence along with people who believe they have been victims of prejascii117diced media coverage.

One reporter who might well be asked to appear is Richard Peppiatt who told the Leveson inqascii117iry that his former paper, the Daily Star, pascii117blished anti-Mascii117slim propaganda.

An initial meeting to discascii117ss the establishment of a panel will be held on Monday afternoon at the Islam channel&rsqascii117o;s headqascii117arters in the City of London .

The channel, laascii117nched in 2004 is broadcast in English by satellite (channel 813) and broadcasts across Eascii117rope, the Middle East and north Africa.

It is owned by Mohamed Ali Harrath, a refascii117gee from Tascii117nisia who, following the Arab spring, retascii117rned to his coascii117ntry for a visit in Febrascii117ary after 21 years in exile.

Soascii117rce: Islam Channel