Offering a Muslim Info on the Gospel of Christ Now a “Hate Crime”

Two evangelical Christians were handing out pamphlets in a predominantly Muslim area when an officer of the “law”stopped by to have a chat. After discovering they were Americans, ranting about President Bush and the Iraq war, the kind police officer then threatened them with arrest:

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.

Mr Abraham said: “I couldn’t believe this was happening in Britain. The Bishop of Rochester was criticised by the Church of England recently when he said there were no-go areas in Britain but he was right; there are certainly no-go areas for Christians who want to share the gospel.”

The West Midlands police refused to apologize for the officer’s behavior, but they did say he was going through “training in understanding hate crime and communication.”