Islamic radio station told listeners not to take advice of non-Muslim doctors

From the Derby Telegraph

An East Midlands radio station has been criticised by regulator Ofcom after an Islamic scholar told a listener to ignore the advice of doctors who aren’t Muslim.

The speaker, who was described on the phone-in show as “the Mufti”, said diabetics should not miss fasting days during Ramadan on the recommendation of non-Muslims. During the show, during an exchange about fasting with diabetes, the scholar told a caller to the Nottingham radio station: “If it is a non-Muslim doctor who is giving the advice, well their advice carries no weight. It has no importance whatsoever.”

The show, which broadcasts in Punjabi, was translated and Ofcom found the issue to be “potentially harmful”, “discriminatory and potentially offensive”.

The scholar said: “Look, if the doctor is a Muslim and a religious person, then his advice carries weight. But if he is not a Muslim… a non-Muslim doctor will tell you to stop fasting even if you have a minor headache. What you have to do is check who is giving the advice. A proper Muslim doctor who is religious will not give you wrong advice.”

An Ofcom spokesman said: “Our investigation found that encouraging people with diabetes to fast and ignore medical advice was potentially harmful and offensive…” It blasted the Mufti for saying that Muslims with “mild diabetes” were not permitted to give up fasting.