The Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission (AIM) launches a nationwide campaign urging the public to cancel their TV Licence in protest against the BBC’s complicity in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Dear brothers and sisters,
AIM issues this statement with a sense of moral urgency and duty given the unfolding situation in Gaza.
As the Israeli regime continues its brutal and genocidal assault — killing civilians, destroying homes, hospitals, and sacred spaces — the role of mainstream media has become more than just a question of journalistic ethics. It is a matter of complicity.
The BBC, funded by the mandatory TV licence, has always been an instrument of state propaganda that reinforces the Israeli narrative, shields war crimes from scrutiny, and systematically erases the voices of the Palestinian people. Its reporting has not been neutral. It has been biased. Its silence on atrocities has not been incidental. It has been deliberate.
We, along with millions of others, believe this is unacceptable.
There is now overwhelming evidence that the BBC has not upheld its duty of impartiality, but instead has systematically aligned itself with the Israeli narrative:
These are not isolated incidents. They form a pattern — one that upholds the narratives of power and silences the voices of the oppressed.
We urge all people of conscience to take practical steps to stop funding this complicity:
Refuse to Pay the TV Licence:
It is not illegal to refuse the TV licence if you do not watch or record live TV broadcasts or use BBC iPlayer. You can legally opt out. You have the right to withdraw your consent.
Unplug Your TV Aerial:
Remove access to live television channels from your home. Use your devices for streaming non-BBC, non-live content only.
Avoid Streaming from BBC iPlayer:
Abstain from using BBC platforms, which are directly funded through the licence fee.
Know Your Rights:
Enforcement officers have no automatic right of entry to your home. Unless they have a court-issued warrant, you are under no obligation to let them in or engage with them.
Redirect Your Money:
The TV Licence costs £174.50 a year — a staggering sum when you consider that it funds a broadcaster complicit in silencing Palestinian voices and whitewashing a genocide. Rather than contributing to a system that upholds injustice, imagine the impact that same amount could have if redirected to support the oppressed in Palestine and beyond.
Spread the Word:
Inform friends and family. Raise awareness. Make this a movement. The more households that opt out, the greater the pressure on the BBC to answer for its bias and complicity.
Because silence is no longer neutral.
We are witnessing one of the most brutal and unjust assaults on human life in our time. Tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians have been killed, displaced, and starved — live on our screens — while British media outlets, especially the BBC, twist the truth and obscure the reality.
The BBC has:
All of this is happening now, in real-time, with the backing of British taxpayer money. This is not simply about a licence. It is about conscience and morality.
It is about refusing to fund institutions that support injustice, that suppress the truth, and that treat Palestinian lives as expendable. It is about refusing to fund a narrative that facilitates for a genocide to take place.
“Do not incline toward the oppressors, lest the Fire touch you…”
– Holy Qur’an, 11:113
We call on your solidarity and support to punish the BBC by cutting its funding. Ultimately, we must do our part and the results are with Allah, the Almighty.
Wasalaamu Alaikum
Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission
25th Shawwal 1446
24th April 2025