Events such as the Pope’s speech in which he made remarks about the Muslim faith which caused upset amongst some Muslims, prompted a number of people to claim that the British tradition of freedom of speech was under threat. On the other side of the debate, it was argued that these protests showed that there was little public understanding of Muslim communities, and that Muslims in Britain had a right to protection from seriously offensive public references to their faith.

The show was recorded at The London Studios on the South Bank.