Aslam Takes a Hike

The Guardian has made its decision:

Trainee journalist Dilpazier Aslam had his contract with the Guardian terminated today.

The move followed an internal inquiry into Aslam's membership of the political organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir.

A statement said: "The Guardian now believes continuing membership of the organisation to be incompatible with his continued employment by the company."

"Mr Aslam was asked to resign his membership but has chosen not to. The Guardian respects his right to make that decision but has regretfully concluded that it had no option but to terminate Mr Aslam's contract with the company."

The inquiry followed a piece written by Aslam for the Guardian's comment pages entitled "We rock the boat".

The statement added: "The Guardian accepts that it should have explicitly mentioned Mr Aslam's membership of Hizb ut-Tahrir at the end of his comment piece."

A correction will appear in the paper's Corrections and Clarifications column.

See previous posts here and here. I have to say that I think the Guardian handled that well, overall. Though releasing this news at 6:15 pm on a Friday is a bit cute. The Guardian article concludes with this cliffhanger:

Aslam said: "I am shocked by the manner inn which this whole affair has been handled. My treatment throws up issues which will be of grave concern to all journalists. I am currently taking legal advice."

Dun-dun-DUNNNN!

Hey, Dilpazier, was it a concern to you as a journalist when you interviewed Hizb ut-Tahrir client and provocateur Shabina Begum for an article yet failed to disclose your own membership in Hizb in that article? You'd better get a particularly good lawyer. Hey, how about a shariah lawyer?

Scott Burgess at The Daily Ablution, who started this whole thing, has this story too.

Update: The Guardian has also posted a lengthy background piece on the controversy. Follow-up also at Harry's Place.