UK Gov't Funded 2012 Olympics Film on Muslims

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A propaganda campaign run by the UK government concealed from the public the fact it funded a documentary on Muslim athletes at the 2012 London Olympics as part of an effort to combat Islamic terrorism, local media reported Tuesday.

According to confidential papers cited by The Guardian, the documentary was broadcast more than 80 times by 15 mainstream television channels including Al Jazeera and the British­-based Islam Channel, "reaching an estimated 1 million Muslims in the UK and 30 million globally," and aimed to bring about "behavioral and attitudinal change" among young British Muslims.

The film, "My 2012 Dream," features Muslim athletes competing in the Olympic Games and is one of a series commissioned by the campaign to combat Islamic terrorism, the papers claim.

"This product would portray Britain’s hosting of the Games by celebrating the achievements of Muslim participants in the Games and paying tribute to their efforts in the competition while respecting their faith during the holiest part of their year," the documents read, according to the newspaper.

The Research Information and Communications Unit (RICU), the body at the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT), proposed a contract to make a documentary that "challenged the narrative that the Olympic Games, hosted in London, were un-­Islamic due to the event coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan."

The 2012 Olympic Games in London took place between July 27 and August 12, 2012, which coincided with the Holy Month of Ramadan, that started on July 20.