Channel 4 cancels Islam documentary screening after presenter threatened

Historian Tom Holland's Channel 4 film Islam: The Untold Story sparked more than 1,000 complaints when it was broadcast. Holland was threatened online with a torrent of abusive messages on Twitter.

Islam The Untold Story

A Channel 4 spokeswoman said: "Having taken security advice, we have reluctantly cancelled a planned screening of the programme Islam: The Untold Story. We remain extremely proud of the film which is still available to view on 4oD."

The private screening was due to take place at the broadcaster's London headquarters on Thursday before an audience of historians and "opinion formers".

The documentary is due to be repeated late on Thursday night and can be viewed online.

The investigation into the origins of the religion claimed that there is little written contemporary evidence about the prophet Mohammed.

It examined claims that rather than Islam's doctrine emerging fully-formed in a single text, the religion instead developed gradually over many years with the expansion of Arabic empires. (...)