Every time I see a photograph of Abu Hamza that includes his torso, it looks like he’s got an iPod Mini hanging round his neck. What is it?
13Feb06 — 17
A Question For Owners Of Television Sets
- 04.05.23 Ten-year quest through Development Hell pays off
- 04.04.23 Testing "podcasting"
- 04.03.23 Mistakes Have Been Made
- 04.02.23 Coming soon
- 11.02.19 Live comedy review: Geoff Norcott at the Southport Comedy Festival
- 08.20.19 Republic Interiors
- 12.27.18 The Wykehamist Fallacy
- 12.08.18 The Moral Degradation of The Labour Party
- 10.14.18 FILM REVIEW: Downsizing
- 09.09.18 Film Review: Fright Night
Cellphone? Though how he pushes the buttons is anyone’s guess.
It’s not visible on the cover of this week’s The Economist, but on the cover of The Guardian one day last week you can see a “Sony” logo embossed on the leather pouch—oo-er—containing the device. I reckon it’s a dictaphone, for recording Mr al-Masri’s many words of love.
Like all modern religious leaders his words are being recorded for the faithful to venerate for generations to come. But they will come in handy when the Americans get their hands on him…
They’ve been wondering exactly the same thing over on the Guardian’s MediaMonkey (http://media.guardian.co.uk/diary) – they thought it might be a Rajar gizmo (for measuring radio listening. But I reckon it’s a voice recorder.
Apologies for the long quote below, but since MediaGuardian is registration-only, I thought I’d compile their three diary pieces here.
“What is the connection between Abu Hamza al-Masri, the radical Islamic cleric jailed yesterday for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred, and the measurement of UK radio ratings? A close look at the front page of this morning’s Guardian sees Abu Hamza pictured sporting a state-of-the-art Sony gizmo dangling from an Arbitron-branded lanyard. Arbitron is the US manufacturer behind one of the electronic audiometers tested by radio ratings body Rajar. How did Abu Hamza come by the lanyard? Was he included in the company’s radio ratings tests? Is he a Heart FM fan or more of a Planet Rock man? We should be told.
=====
Monkey owes Chrysalis Radio boss Phil Riley a banana smoothie for coming up with a very plausible answer to the question we posed yesterday: why on earth was Abu Hamza al-Masri pictured in the Guardian wearing a state-of-the-art Sony gizmo dangling from an Arbitron-branded lanyard? Riley has reminded Monkey that the radical cleric appeared in a session at the 2002 Radio Festival in Cambridge, along with BNP leader Nick Griffin, to talk about points of view that are never heard on the UK airwaves. So maybe Arbitron, the US manufacturer of electronic audiometers, was sponsoring the Radio Festival lanyards that year, while Sony were giving away a gizmo. In which case, it’s all Rod Liddle’s fault – he chaired the session.
===
Further confirmation on the Abu Hamza story. Monkey has been pinged an email from Thom Mocarsky, vice president of communications at electronic radio audience measurement firm Arbitron. Thom tells us that all speakers invited to the 2002 Radio Festival in Cambridge got a goody bag containing an Arbitron lanyard, of the type seen round the radical cleric’s neck in a Guardian front page photo yesterday. “I have no idea where he got the Sony gizmo,” he adds. Don’t worry, Thom – you’ll be joining Phil Riley in Monkey’s banana smoothie hall of fame.
Thank you. This kind of helpful response is just one of the many delights of having a ‘Blog: being able to ask questions that are beyond even Wikipedia and Google and getting an informed answer.
I think you are right Damian.
Lets face it, if you have no hands you have to use your dictaphone.
(Joke lovingly resurrected in memory of the late Ronnie Barker)
Use a dictaphone? No, I use my finger. What, your whole finger? No, the one next to it.
[…] Answering those weird and wonderful questions: It’s what the internet were made for Sunday, February 26th, 2006 […]
I’m curious. it looks like an iPod to me… But, perhaps, it could be a cellphone??? Wow, even religious figures have their way of keeping with the trends. 😉
lol ..it looks like a cell phone or a voice recorder………
peace out !! inv ‘asian’!!! peace !!;-)
My lovely hero Abu Hamza for workıng for us for your struggle for the thousands of peoples lıves you saved from those kafır buthcher. May Allah bless you for steadfastness and your work.
Whıle there are some that wıll speak badly about you there are many that love you. Thank you agaın my dear brother for comıng for protectıng us and makıng sure no one wıll vanquısh ıslam from our lands.
clearly a bomb
Well ’emir’, I hate to be the one to break the news to you but it appears your lovely hero has quit this land of infidels for the heavenly abode of houris…
I think that’s a different Abu Hamza, Kiran.
yo man why are ya’ll trippin over a picture of a saudi with a device around his neck.
damn ya’ll r fucked up in the head oh and blogging is gay
Should have cut the red wire my hook handed friend
I hear he likes prison life specially when the lights go out