Soaps
BBC defends 'EastEnders' Qu'ran treatment
Published Wednesday, Jul 21 2010, 16:02 BST | By Ryan Love

© BBC
In a statement, the corporation confirmed that viewers have complained about the way Syed Masood (Marc Elliott) had slammed down the Qu'ran.
"As regular viewers will know, Syed has been struggling to come to terms with his sexuality for some time now," the BBC said.
"Desperate not to lose his family, Syed is trying to suppress his homosexuality and has vowed to read and learn from the Qu'ran in an attempt to reconnect with his Muslim faith, hoping that this will help him in his quest.
"Feeling unable to reconcile his feelings for another man with his religious beliefs, Syed slams down the Qu'ran in frustration."
The statement added: "It was not intended to be a disrespectful act, rather a totally spontaneous one, symbolic of Syed's utter confusion and frustration at what feels like an impossible situation.
"It wasn't our intention to cause any offence."
Last week, the BBC dismissed complaints that an ongoing EastEnders storyline featuring Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) is offensive to Christians.
Related Stories
Soap Scoop
'Doctors' fire leads to terrible dangerMore details emerge of Doctors' big summer cliffhanger.
Soaps Interviews
'Hollyoaks': Joe Tracini interviewDigital Spy chats to Joe Tracini about a big week for Dennis Savage.
Soap Ratings
'The Apprentice' final hires nearly 7mEarlier, the BBC's coverage of the Diamond Jubilee entertains more than 10m.
Picture of the Day
POTD: Corrie's Rita is kidnappedRita's wedding day goes horribly wrong in Coronation Street tonight.







