THE leader of a faith group has said the media is “encouraging” Luton extremists.
Chris Barnes, who chairs Churches Together in Luton, said both Monday night’s Proud and Prejudiced documentary on Channel 4, and the previous week’s Stacey Dooley Investigates on BBC3, had “painted an exaggerated picture of Luton as a town in conflict with itself”.
Monday night’s Proud and Prejudiced focused on Muslim extremist Sayful Islam and the leader of the English Defence League, Stephen Lennon.
The programme attracted a storm of comments on Twitter, ranging from condemning the two to agreeing with their views.
Many people also said the programme gave Luton a bad name when the majority of the town’s residents lived together in peace.
Mr Barnes said the programme was “unrepresentative” of ordinary Luton folk, and that a planned EDL march in May would “reinforce the image of Luton as the extremist capital of Britain”.
He said: “Churches Together in Luton calls on the EDL to reconsider their plans.
“Whether they take notice of that call or not, local churches are committed to working with the council and police to keep peace. “We will be doing all we can to work with our Muslim friends so that everyone in Luton can live their lives without fear.
A Channel 4 spokesman said the programme, which also featured Luton Borough Council’s Luton in Harmony initiative, was a “balanced examination” of the issue.