- GB News broadcast a manipulated clip of Mohammed Hijab, falsely claiming Islam endorsed child marriage.
- The incident reflects a systemic pattern of manipulated media coverage of Islam and Muslims, with misinformation contributing to prejudice and societal harm.
GB News, with its dangerous and tired tradition of smearing Islam and Muslims, has once again allowed a manufactured grotesque falsehood to be included in its live airing. And while no one is surprised, the real headline is how easily such slander is broadcast to millions; misinforming the masses and consequently maligning an entire community on the basis of their so-called beliefs.
During a ‘Patrick Christys Tonight’ broadcast on 8th April 2024, the far-right news broadcaster used an edited clip of Mohammed Hijab, claiming that he had argued the Qur’an permitted sexual relations with children as young as five years old: an accusation so vile and detached from reality that it would only naturally stoke anti-Muslim and Islamophobic panic.
The footage was selectively edited and widely circulated by anti-Muslim figures. The manipulated version deliberately featured edited cuts that stripped away what was essentially said. Hijab had said, “If you were to just read the Qur’an,” one might arrive at that conclusion,” but he immediately clarified that the Hadith explicitly prohibits such conduct.
Hijab did not allow this fabrication to pass unchallenged. He pursued legal action. The result? GB News was forced into a humiliating public retraction. Not only did they delete the original post but they were also compelled to issue apologies across their platforms, including on air. The shift in tone was blatant.
Why Hijab’s Victory Matters
Mohammed Hijab is a renowned Muslim interlocutor and YouTuber, with a following of over one million subscribers on Youtube. His persistence in holding GB News accountable sets an important precedent. Challenging powerful Media institutions requires resources and emotional stamina; for instance, at times this can result in engaging in lengthy legal battles. Such outlets are fully cognisant of this and exploit it, banking on the idea that, at worst, their apologies, which, let’s be honest, are tucked away at the end of a late-night broadcast or buried in a tweet, will go unnoticed. The damage, however, is already done: the lie circulates with viral velocity, while the correction limps behind. Nonetheless, the humiliation which someone like Patrick Christys’ has to bear, will no doubt make such broadcasters and journalists think twice before reporting.
Furthermore, Hijab’s victory demonstrates that Muslims should never behave as they are powerless. It is a call to resist disinformation relentlessly, to challenge misrepresentation, and to insist that slander be met with accountability. Because silence only emboldens those who profit from hate and thrive on stoking division and disharmony in our society.
It must be noted, what happened with GB News is not an anomaly. It is part of a systemic pattern which is continuing to dangerously shape the views of the British public.
A recent YouGov poll which surveyed 2,130 adults in mid July found that 49% Brits believe that Muslim women are pressurised to observe the hijab due to their community and family. How are such opinions formed? The mind boggles. Moreover, we all saw what happened during the UK riots in summer 2024.
In December 2024, the Centre for Media Monitoring released a two year report on GB News. It was concluded that 62% of the coverage of the summer riots grossly misrepresented Muslims as perpetrators, while downplaying the attacks on Muslim communities.
In addition, studies by the University of Cambridge illustrate that the majority of media coverage of Muslims in Britain is overwhelmingly negative, often framing Muslims as a threat to the West.
Furthermore, in 2015, the American think tank Centre for American Progress published a report revealing that the wealthiest ten percent had invested billions of dollars in shaping an Islamophobic narrative. This influence was exerted in the mainstream media in the years following 9/11.
Hypocrisy Laid Bare
While GB News peddled falsehoods about Islam allegedly endorsing child marriage, the reality is that child marriage remains legal in 42 states in America. Researchers at Unchained at last concluded that from 2000-2018, 300,000, 10 year old girls were married to adult men legally in the United States.
In 2016, it was reported that 84% Of 12 million married children under 10 are Hindus.
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When media conglomerates fabricate or amplify lies about Muslims, the fallout reaches into real lives: hijabs are ripped from women on the streets, mosques are attacked, lives are endangered, children are bullied in schools, and an entire community is vilified. Islamophobia is not simply rhetoric; it transpires into violence, policy, and discrimination.
