A pastor was arrested in London for criticizing the violence of Islam as he preached the Gospel in the street.
“It’s called inciting religious hatred — which is false,” Pastor Steve Maile, 66, told Fox News. “The cross of Christ is a message of hope, love, mercy, and reconciliation to a fallen world. … How could that be hate?”
Christian Concern reported that Maile “had been peacefully singing and preaching for around 10 minutes … calling people to repentance” and “discussing whether Islam is a religion of peace” before his arrest.
“He criticised the history of violent Islam but said he had compassion and wanted Muslims to be saved by Jesus,” the report noted.
Video footage of Maile’s arrest shows an officer telling the pastor there was an allegation he had assaulted a child.
“There is no offence being committed here. None whatsoever,” Maile insisted as he was being handcuffed. “This is an utter disgrace. I’ve not assaulted anyone.”
Hertfordshire Police told Fox News that “A man aged in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of assault and a Section 5 public order offence (racially or religiously aggravated disorderly behavior).”
Section 5 makes it illegal in the U.K. to use “threatening or abusive words or behavior, or disorderly behavior” visible or audible to a person “likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.” A religiously aggravated Section 5 offense, considered to be “religiously aggravated harassment,” could carry heavy fines.
While police have dropped Maile’s charge of assault, he remains under investigation for an alleged public order offense after being released from jail on bail.
Maile alleged that the police officers did not formally read him his rights before he was forcefully bundled into a police car.
However, police told Fox News that “the conduct of the officers was reviewed and it was deemed no further action was necessary.”
Maile said he needed wrist splints for three weeks after being double handcuffed in “excruciating pain” for around 90 minutes. He also said he was detained for 12 hours without being permitted to use a restroom and without his phone.
“I don’t preach hate. I don’t preach violence. I preach the love of God, the mercy of God and the goodness of God in Christ Jesus,” he told Fox News. “Everybody needs to come by the way of the cross … And nobody gets a free pass.”
The Christian Legal Centre decried Maile’s arrest as “deeply troubling.”
“A peaceful, Christian preacher was treated like a serious criminal for expressing his Christian beliefs and that Islam is a false religion in a public place,” said Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre. “The footage raises fundamental questions about whether policing in this country is now criminalizing Christianity while failing to apply the law equally and consistently.”
Maile is the senior pastor of Oasis City Church in Watford, England, about an hour drive from central London. He has preached and conducted mission work globally for 45 years and is also a singer who often replaces the lyrics of famous songs with Christian messages.