BBC appoints first Muslim for head of religion

The BBC has announced its first Muslim head of religious programming, after confirming that the Channel 4 executive Aaqil Ahmed is to take over the role.

Aaqil is currently Commissioning Editor for Religion and Multicultural at Channel 4. Recent programmes he has commissioned include Christianity: A History, The Qur’an and the BAFTA-winning Saving Africa’s Witch Children.

Ahmed’s appointment marks only the second time in the BBC’s 87-year history that a non-Christian has been appointed to the position, following the agnostic Alan Bookbinder in 2001.

Ahmed’s appointment has been seen as controversial by several right-wing media outlets.

The BBC, however, maintained that “Aaqil was picked simply because he was the best candidate for the role,” a BBC spokeswoman told Al Arabiya. “We’ve always said it is BBC policy to recruit on the basis of experience and suitability for the role; not on the basis of faith.”