The BBC report aired on the 4th of July 2006 discussed an American Muslim, Sabri Ben Kahla, accused of being involved in terrorist activities. The report included an interview with him, his lawyer Jonathan Shapiro and a former White-House advisor David Rivkin. The report starts with the description of La Hijrah Mosque, whose members, one of them Mr Ben Kahla, were linked to some terrorist activities. The reporter, J. Cuffe, gives us some background information about Sabri Ben Kahla and to the circumstances of his arrest. Then Mr Ben Kahla relates in detail about his bad treatment while in American custody. The reporter then tells us about the Virginia Jihad case, to which Ben Kahla was linked.
He was acquitted after the first trial, but then indicted again for lying to a Grand Jury. Then, answering the reporterÃÂs question, Mr Ben Kahla states, he was simply traveling around, learning about different cultures and had nothing to do with terrorism.
David Rivkin reviewing a draft article
English: South African cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro...
English: David W. Rivkin photoHe thinks the indictment and harassment might be due to the fact he is a Muslim. In his opinion all around the world where Muslims represent either a majority or a significant minority of any nation's population, they are in conflict with the governments that govern those nations. This can be a direct result of the violent nature of the Muslim religion. Afterwards, Mrs Cuffe interviews his (whose?)lawyer, who claims the trial is being vindictive, as the same allegations are being tried again. This is then denied by David Rivkin, who thinks that in the face of global terrorism, the government should defend the citizens by all means necessary. Finally Mrs Cuffe ends the report with a rhetorical question on how to reconcile one`s basic human rights and the authorities` obligation to provide safety and security to all it's people.