Bravo!

At long last a step towards divesting Islam of its exaggerated sense of entitlement to be afforded more respect that it affords other religions and peoples.

The proof of the pudding will be, however, in the eating. Let us see whether Mark Thompson will stand firm if, say, the MCB does its equivalent of chucking its teddy out of the pram or worse.

Sarah, Birmingham,

Reading from overseas, it appears that the BBC website is just one big, heavy-duty Islamic proselytization site.

MaryJ, SF , Calif.

In Dec 2006, there was a large conference; BBC people with the CofE for a couple of days, it was a Blair job, get the national broadcaster to agree to do far more religious stuff , although surveys of viewers show them very uninterested, in even existing religious programming. The conference was held under Chatham House rules, everybody who took part must not talk to the media, thus the general public don't know about this anti-democratic stitchup. Some sites like the National Secular Soc.reported it.

I am a Radio 4 listener and inmmediately the onslaught began in Jan 2007. I hardly dare turn it on anymore. Ludicrous programmes like 'Beyond Belief ' have sprung up, plays are full of religion, even Woman's Hour had to obey the diktat.

Fortunately their group of female experts declared religion was at best useless for women, but usually damaging and none of the major religions had any future, the system was broke so far as women were concerned.

Religion = misogyny

S. England, Glasgow, Scotland

Everyone of us are on the road to seach for truth and peace in mind. Many are still searching however some have found;

British Catholic Priest Reverted To Islam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkrNyqowXxM

Scientist From Czech Republic Converts To Islam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZbkXno0XVg

http://muslimconverts.com/converts/index.htm

jane abraham, Kuala Lumpur,

who on earth is mr thompson preaching to in these comments? has he made these views clear to bbc reporters and editors? perhaps the bbc could lead the way, show the media how?

tell me, alamgir, which other religion follwed by 3% of the uk population do you think gets anywhere near the favourable teatment in quanity and quality on the bbc that islam gets? presuming one answer, why is that?

as for the unfavourable - or non-sensitive and non-deferential - coverage, why do you suppose, for example, that there might be a correlation in the news between islam and terrorism?

fred jones, new york, usa

Its funny how Islam became the biggest threat to western civilisation only the last decade. If you did a word association with terrorist in 1998 I bet Muslims would be down the list. Before that the Russians were the biggest threat to the west, before that the Nazis. It looks like in the nest few years the Chinese will be the new dark force that threatens us all and will be constant news coverage and sensationalist documentaries on. Watch the brilliant documentary by Adam Curtis called Power of Nightmares (google videos) and see how governments control us using fear

raymond, Liverpool, UK

Aye right.

Ben Elton let the cat out the bag recently.The BBC are frightened to go there.That's unlikely to change anytime soon.

sandy, ayrshire,

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a good place to start when discussing such issues. Muslims, evangelists, Catholics, etc shouldn't insult or denigrate others, if they can't take it themselves.

Bill Peter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We should always be free to have the debate so that what one man may say another may refute. Debate on religion has been stifled by religious aggression and the Incitement to Religious Hate Act which was forced through Parliament when New Labour MP's rubber stamped it despite massive opposition from the electorate. People do now fear that legitimate criticism of religions will bring a visit from the Police. The latest polls on Social Trends from the Office of National Statistics show that only 38% of people in the UK and Europe believe in God. This means that, not only are the Govt. spending vast sums of taxpayers money on religion against the will of the electorate, but when all the measures are taken together they look like a massive campaign of discrimination against those not attached to organised religions. You cannot run a nation on the basis of the unproven and I suspect that what the electorate want is protection from religions.

Keith, Rayleigh, England

If Thompson believes in forthrightness on Islam, I suppose he’ll stop the BBC's cover-up and make the Balen Report available to the public.

Tony, NYC, USA

What are the Catholic bishops up to? First, they give Blair the opportunity to spout about his "faith" while not being in the least apologetic about his support for abortion, embryo research, euthanasia and other items opposed to Catholic teaching and now they give a platform in Westminster Cathedral to the Director General of the BBC , an organisation that is the most secular and anti-Christian broadcasting authority in the world. Who is to speak next in Westminster Cathedral, Richard Dawkins?

George, Bolton., England

you are so right Steve from Leeds

even if you don't support the B N P they always seem to speak the truth

The truth some times is like a bitter pill and hard to swallow

john winston beatson, sheffiekd, england

It's Channel 4 that's had the guts to discuss Islam with the excellent documentaries on Dispatches.

The BBC isn't kidding anyone by trying to pull this stunt because they've been afraid to do anything in regards to Islam unless it's ok in the eyes of Muslims. The BBC has admitted this in the past by saying they would throw a bible in the bin but not the Koran!

John, Salford, England

I have noticed that BBC news coverage of immigration almost exclusively demonizes the poor Poles whereas major immigration groups from muslim Pakistan and Bangladesh barely merit a mention.

Derek, London, UK

Sadly, it is also inconceivable that the BBC in the 21st century would have the wit or courage to hire writers as capable as Dennis Potter to cause us to question our view of the world, rather than air doctrinaire evangelical twaddle.

Stuart Hartill, Ramsey, Isle of Man

The fairest things have the fleetest end? read it.

JLee, London, UK

What happened to free speech in this country ?

All the public want are the facts so that we can make our own minds up

Shana , Radlett, Hertfordshire

So, as well as having religious enthusiasts running Downing Street, we also have them running the BBC, forcing religion down out throats from morning (Today programme sometimes sounds like a broadcast edition of the Church Times, there are so many bishops on it) to night. Even though Ofcom research has shown that religious TV programmes are the least watched and least appreciated on TV, while we have people like Mark Thompson running the show, there will be an ever-increasing number. And as for radio 4 - its like going to church almost every time you switch it on.

Barry Henderson, London, UK

Looks like I will have to start getting my news from BNP website then.

steve, leeds,

As a Muslim I do not find the coverage and discussion of Islam on the BBC and other channels particularly deferantial or sensitive to the feelings of Muslims. It is unfortunate that discussion of Islam or Muslims these days is often linked to the subject of terrorism, and that the representatives of Muslims chosen for TV appearances are often weak, not nearly as fluent as their opponents in English, and while perfectly good British citizens themselves, are put on the defensive right from the start because the questions from aggressive anchors such as Paxman cast them automatically in the role of having to explain or justify the actions of an unrepresentative and extreme Muslim minority. They are simply whipping boys for the media that wants to show its large Christian majority that their interests and way of life are being defended. They take no account of the brutalizing and demonizing effect all this has on ordinary, loyal British Muslims. Mark Thompson should be less prejudiced.

Alamgir Manzoor, London,