Ofcom has today imposed a financial penalty of £2,000 on The Pakistan Muslim Centre (Sheffield) Limited after an investigation found that its community radio station, Link FM 96.7, broke broadcasting rules.
On two occasions in December 2020, Link FM 96.7 broadcast a Nasheed – a piece of devotional vocal music – entitled “Jundallah”, meaning “Soldiers of Allah”. Ofcom’s investigation found that this Nasheed, which was in Arabic, contained lyrics and imagery that amounted to an indirect call to action to encourage people to join a form of violent Jihad. It was therefore likely to encourage or incite violence or lead to disorder. The content also had clear potential to cause significant offence and we did not consider there to be sufficient context to justify its broadcast.
Given the seriousness of these breaches, Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of £2,000, payable to HM Paymaster General. Ofcom has also directed Link FM 96.7 to broadcast a summary of its decision on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom.
