Their contribution is invaluable, employing millions of people and generating billions of pounds for the UK economy."

Speakers included Mohamed Ali Harrath, CEO of Islam Channel, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, political analyst and journalist Yvonne Ridley, Yusuf Estes and Jamal Badawi.

The judge, Sir David Eady, stated in his judgment that: "there was simply no evidence to support the allegation of terrorism" and that "the sum awarded should be such as to leave interested onlookers in no doubt as to the baselessness of the Defendants' charge against [Mr Harrath]"[22][23] The poor treatment of Harrath by the British establishment and media was highlighted by Peter Oborne, chief political commentator of the Daily Telegraph in a 2012 article in the New Statesman.

[24] In 2007, Ofcom fined Islam Channel £30,000 for breaking the broadcasting code by having Yvonne Ridley present news programmes while standing as a candidate in local elections for the Respect Party during the previous year.

[25] In 2008, Yvonne Ridley was awarded £20,532 in compensation and £5,000 in costs after an employment tribunal upheld her complaint that she was unfairly dismissed, was sexually discriminated against and harassed whilst working at the station.

[29][30] In November 2010, the channel was censured by Ofcom for allowing presenters to advocate marital rape and domestic abuse.

[31] During the program Muslimah Dilemma, Western laws and freedoms were attacked, and that women should not be "permitted to hold a position of leadership in government".

[32] In 2010, it was reported that Islam Channel had in 2009 carried advertisements for at least two events at which radical al-Qaeda cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki's was due to be the star speaker via video link as well as for DVDs of his sermons.

[34] The award was given by Mr. Rasheed Abubakar, the publisher of Muslim News and organiser of the prestigious awards, who was quoted as saying: "Establishing this type of medium which has a wide range of interesting and educative programmes for Muslims of different cultural backgrounds and nationalities and sustaining its quality since 2004 is a great feat that should be acknowledged, knowing full well how difficult it is to run a successful faith-based media outfit."

He hailed Harrath as a role model and inspiration saying: ""Harrath — who has been wrongly criticised; who fought and won against stereotypes and Islamophobic media, is a motivation and inspiration for us at Muslim News Nigeria, and to other young Muslim entrepreneurs who have or want to venture into the highly competitive media industry."