Gareth accused of blasphemy
2007-12-04 21:59
Birgit Ottermann
Cape Town - 5fm DJ Gareth Cliff is in trouble again. The controversial radio presenter has caused a furore by calling God "petty" on his breakfast show.
However, according to Cliff's manager, the incident has been blown out of proportion and taken out of context.
"Cliff has been accused of blasphemy for referring to a news report of the Teddy Teacher Gillian Gibbons who had been arrested in the Sudan for naming a teddy bear Mohammed."
"Blasphemy should not be a crime," Cliff said in an e-mail on Thursday.
"If God is great, why would he be so easily offended by what a mortal man says? If God has such an ego, then he must be petty."
Since the show, numerous e-mails have been circulating on the web with petitions "to get Cliff off air".
News24 has also received numerous complaints of users saying that Cliff "has gone too far".
'God is not petty'
June Jousten, a News24 user from Gauteng, said: "What really gets to me, is that this seems to happen on a daily basis and that the South African Broadcasting Association does little to zero about it."
In the midst of the furore is Gerda-Mari Povey, a 5fm listener from Pretoria, who sent an e-mail of complaint to Cliff on Thursday morning after listening to his show.
Povey forwarded her e-mail correspondence with Gareth Cliff to News24.
She wrote to him: "You know what, Gareth, I love your show, but this morning u shocked me!!!! just wanted to say, God is not petty!!!!!
"I pray that something drastic will happen in your life, that will allow you to experience the loving kindness and mercy of God..."
"As a Christian, I really felt offended," she told News24. "He (Gareth) should have more respect for people's religion. He has offended many of his listeners."
"What if my children had heard his comments. It was very irresponsible of him. I'm normally the kind of person who just keeps quiet, but this time it was just too much."
Hate mail
Cliff's short reply to her e-mail was: "Stop sprouting nonsense. There is no god. There is no tooth fairy and there is no Father Christmas."
Povey said: "I was so upset. I was almost in tears. I forwarded his response to a few of my closest friends, but I never intended this e-mail to be circulated through the entire country."
Povey told News24 she had been receiving a lot of hate mail since Thursday.
"Some people have said to me, how can I know for sure that it has indeed been Gareth Cliff who replied to my e-mail. Well, I sent my initial e-mail to 5fm's mailbox and Cliff replied to my e-mail from his personal e-mail. Who else at 5fm could have written that e-mail?"
"I don't have anything against him personally, he can debate politics etc all he wants, but when it's about religion, he should show more sensitivity."
Tribunal
Cliff's manager told News24: "Gareth has always been opinionated and loves debating. He has responded to Povey by e-mail as a courtesy and has treated her in the same way as he would have treated a friend."
In his follow-up e-mail to Povey, Cliff placed into context what he was trying to say on his show.
"I will never agree with you just as you find my lack of belief so distasteful. The difference is that I concern myself with people, and try to be a good and hopefully moral person.
"I don't need blessings or permissions or prayers. I'm a happy guy."
According to his manager, Cliff was not available for comment until Thursday morning.
"The SABC has called a tribunal at the Broadcasting Complaints Commission in Johannesburg on Thursday morning at 09:00 to discuss the issue. It will be open to the public.
"The SABC has come to his defence and believes his comments have been taken out of context."
- News24