‘Treatment in stark contrast to Michael Vaughan case’

It is in contrast to the case of Michael Vaughan who was accused of racism three years ago. The broadcaster dropped him from all coverage, although he was later cleared.

The letter accused BBC management of a “total absence of courage, morality and understanding” in relation to Jews. Signatories include Neil Blair, agent to JK Rowling; Danny Cohen, a former BBC director of television; Claudia Rosencrantz, a former ITV entertainment boss; and Anita Land, talent agent and sister to Lord Grade.

“As BBC staff, contractors, suppliers and contributors who are Jewish, from across the television and film industry, we write to you today in disbelief,” the group said in an open letter to Tim Davie, the director-general, and Charlotte Moore, chief content officer.

“Qasim Sheikh was a key part of the Test Match Special team on Tuesday 4th June for the Scotland v England T20 game, despite the fact the BBC knew he has in the past few months on social media posted (and re-posted) rhetoric that is both racist and wholly undermines civility in public discourse.

“One tweet on ‘X’ likens our Prime Minister alongside other prominent Western leaders including Netanyahu to Hitler, denouncing them collectively as the ‘Kids Killer Union’.  Significantly, following the brutal massacre of infants, children, men, women and the elderly on October 7th in Israel by Hamas terrorists, another tweet by Mr Sheikh claims that the terrorists were justified in their indiscriminate mass rape and slaughter in order ‘to defend themselves’,” the letter said.

“By stark contrast, we wish to point out a monumental double-standard in relation to the BBC’s actions and the Test Match Special’s own commentary box.

“When in 2021 Michael Vaughan was accused of racist comments (made in 2009, which he categorically denied) he was promptly dropped from the BBC commentary team. A mere accusation was enough for him to be suspended from all cricket commentary with the BBC statement: ‘While he is involved in a significant story in cricket, for editorial reasons we do not believe that it would be appropriate for Michael Vaughan to have a role in our Ashes team or wider coverage of the sport at the moment’.

“The BBC also did not hesitate to drop the radio show Vaughan co-presented with Phil Tufnell. Indeed, Vaughan was axed from the BBC’s sporting commentary for the best part of two years until the ECB’s Cricket Disciplinary Committee cleared his name.”

Azeem Rafiq, a Yorkshire player, claimed that Vaughan had told four Asian players: “There are too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that.” He was cleared in March 2023.

‘BBC seems deaf to news of its contributors’ racism against Jews’ 

The letter went on to say: “What of the Jewish members of staff deeply affected by the indisputable rise in anti-Jewish racism since October 7th? What trust can any of our community have in the BBC when these double standards are so explicitly demonstrated?

“Yet again, the BBC appears entirely deaf to news of its contributors’ racism against Jews. Invoking images of Hitler (specifically) to portray Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, and its allies is Holocaust inversion and antisemitic by every definition.”

The letter asked while “Sheikh’s justification and legitimisation of the mass murder of (principally) Jews in Israel is ostensibly not a sufficiently ‘significant story in cricket’ to merit any repercussions.”

It asked Mr Davie and Ms Moore to explain why Sheikh was allowed in the commentary box and said “if your answer is that the BBC’s social media guidelines do permit his posts they are clearly unfit for purpose”.

The letter added: “Is applauding October 7th and comparing Rishi Sunak and other world leaders to Hitler and calling them child killers merely a grotesque libel rather than grounds for cancelling his BBC booking?”

Around half of the 119 signatories have chosen to remain anonymous.

The letter ended: “We are despairing at the total absence of courage, morality and understanding that BBC leadership repeatedly demonstrate in relation to Jews time and again. We can now add the case of Qasim Sheikh to the ever-growing canon that the BBC must answer for.”