A Muslim radio station has had its licence revoked after broadcasting 25 hours of lectures by the assassinated US cleric Anwar Al Awlaki.
Iman FM, which is based in Sheffield and has been broadcasting since October 2014, put a series of readings by the controversial US cleric Anwar al-Awlaki on the air during Ramadan.
Ofcom suspended the station’s licence on July 4 and revoked it yesterday.
Imam FM claimed that it was not aware of the background of al-Awlaki, who was killed in a US drone strike in Yemen in 2011. But Ofcom said Iman FM was “unfit” to hold a licence after displaying “extremely reckless” conduct.
The station had broadcast “material likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder,” the regulator said.
It added that the lectures included “a direct call to action to members of the Muslim community to prepare for and carry out violent action against non-Muslim people,” and “statements clearly condoning and encouraging acts of crime, terrorism or violent behaviour.”
While he was based in America Anwar al Awlaki gained a reputation as a thoughtful, erudite and moderate cleric.
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But after he was imprisoned in Yemen his rhetoric became far more radical and he appeared to condone terrorism.
Iman FM has been off-air since its licence was suspended and would not be reinstated, Ofcom said.
