A Belfast Pastor is being prosecuted for saying he doesn’t trust Muslims

In May last year, Pastor James McConnell took to his pulpit in the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in North Belfast to give one of the many sermons he has given there over the years. During that sermon he described Islam as heathen, satanic, and a doctrine spawned in hell. Today, he finds himself in court after refusing to accept an informed warning. What is his crime? It’s not that he said those words. It’s not that he said those words whilst they were being streamed on the Internet. No. He is being prosecuted for improper use of a public electronic communications network, and causing a grossly offensive message to be sent by means of a public electronic communications network, for saying, “People say there are good Muslims in Britain – that may be so – but I don’t trust them”.

According to the prosecution, “He characterised the followers of an entire religion in a certain stereotypical way, that is grossly offensive and that is not protected by saying it from the pulpit. It wouldn’t be protected whether it was said about members of the Christian faith, the Jewish faith, Protestants, Catholics or members of the Muslim faith. That is the portion that is grossly offensive. It has nothing to do with his freedom of expression or his freedom to preach.”

Hold on. This has everything to do with his freedom of expression and his freedom to preach. If Pastor McConnell doesn’t trust Muslims, he doesn’t trust Muslims. It’s not a view I share, nor would I go about saying that Islam was heathen, satanic, and a doctrine spawned in hell, but that is not the point. Since when was it illegal to say you don’t trust people who follow a certain religion?

Is it now illegal to say there are good politicians in Britain – that may be so – but I don’t trust them? No. What about bankers. I can’t imagine the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland getting into a lather if the same had been said about them. But apparently, it is grossly offensive to speak about followers of any religion in the same way that Pastor McConnell did – so grossly offensive that it warrants a trial that is likely to last three days.

I will write more about this as the case continues, but if Pastor McConnell is found guilty and gets a criminal record, I will fly to Northern Ireland and man the barricades with him. And so should everyone else who believes in free speech.