Monday, June 02, 2008

UK: Officer Labels Christian Preaching a 'Hate Crime'

-- From "Christian preachers face arrest in Birmingham" by David Harrison in the Telegraph 6/2/08

A police community support officer ordered two Christian preachers to stop handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham.

The evangelists say they were threatened with arrest for committing a "hate crime" and were told they risked being beaten up if they returned. The incident will fuel fears that "no-go areas" for Christians are emerging in British towns and cities, as the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, claimed in The Sunday Telegraph this year.

Arthur Cunningham, 48, and Joseph Abraham, 65, both full-time evangelical ministers, have launched legal action against West Midlands Police, claiming the officer infringed their right to profess their religion.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE. Alternate coverage of the story is HERE.