EXCLUSIVE
As police continue to investigate anti-Islamic remarks by a firebrand Belfast preacher First Minister Peter Robinson tells Political Reporter John Manley why he's backing Pastor James McConnell
WITH election fever and the often disproportionate attention given to the ructions within Ni21, the recent comments by Pastor James McConnell have slowly slipped down the news agenda. However, the police continue to investigate a controversial sermon by the evangelical preacher made earlier this month at the Whitewell Metropolitan tabernacle.
After a video of Pastor McConnell describing Islam as "heathen" and "satanic" appeared online there was a storm of criticism.
Raied Al-Wazzan of the Belfast Islamic Centre described the comments as irresponsible and said he would hold the firebrand preacher "responsible for any racial attacks on any Muslim in Northern Ireland". The sermon has also drawn criticism from the leadership of the three main Protestant Churches in the north. However, members of the DUP have rallied behind the pastor, with former finance minister Sammy Wilson voicing public support.
Now the most high-profile member of the party -- and the most high-pro-file member of Pastor McConnell's congregation -- has broken his silence on the controversy.
Speaking to The Irish News yesterday, Peter Robinson said he had visited the pastor's north Belfast church many times and intended to attend in the future. The DUP leader said he had known the preacher for more than 20 years.
"There isn't an ounce of hatred in his bones," he said.
"this is somebody who has lived his life for Christ."
Questioned about Pastor Mc-Connell's attack on Islam, Mr Robinson said it was the duty of any Christian preacher to "denounce false doctrine".
"he's perfectly entitled to do that -- it's an appropriate thing for a minister to do," he said.
"It's been happening for generations and nobody should look at that issue."
Addressing Pastor McConnell's assertion that he could not trust Muslims, the first minister said a sermon was not like a legal document with "caveats, conditions and qualifications". He said the preacher had applied a "broad stroke" when talking about trusting the followers of Islam.
But Mr Robinson said he too did not trust Muslims who had been involved in "terrorist activities" or those who were "fully devoted to Sharia Law". Nor, he said, would he trust a Muslim to provide spiritual guidance. However, he did say he would "trust them to go down the shops for me" and undertake other day-today tasks. The DUP leader was clearly aggrieved by the police investigation into a suspected hate-crime. he said saying you did not trust somebody was not a hate crime and that to claim so was a "bogus argument".
"If it is [a hate crime] then i'm going straight away to the police to ask them to take action against all those who say they don't trust politicians -- you can't have it both ways," he said.
"If it's a hate crime if you say someone is not trusting a group of people then Steve Nolan has an awful lot to answer for, because i hear every morning on his programme people who don't trust politicians."
Asked if Pastor McConnell's comments were representative of what Christ preached, the first minister said it was important to "show love" and always encourage people to accept the "real benefits of Christian living".
"But i think people really do take a mole hill and develop it into a massive mountain on these kind of issues," Mr Robinson said.
"This was a preacher speaking to his congregation -- both his congregation in terms of the physical building and his congregation online -- and the remarks were never intended... and his subsequent statements have made that clear... they were never intended to suggest hatred towards any community." The DUP leader said that as someone who knew Pastor McConnell, the preacher had "nothing but Christian love for others".
But when challenged over whether the comments promoted hatred, Mr Robinson said:
"Can you then understand that you are promoting hatred against politicians by saying that you don't trust politicians? Why are you so concerned about Muslims and not poor people like me?" it was put to the DUP leader that politicians were not being persecuted and singled out for attack.
"Are they not?," he said. "They're just having death threats. I've had colleagues killed."
Mr Robinson said because he was a politician he needed police protection, bullet proof windows and was careful where he travelled. However, he said he would condemn anybody who threatened the lives or harm against anybody from the Muslim community.
"What we're talking about is the issue of whether it is a hate crime for somebody who doesn't trust somebody else or a group of people," he said.
"And i'm saying if you tell me you don't trust politicians is exactly the same thing as saying you wouldn't trust Muslims -- exactly the same thing -- and you don't say it's hate crime because you don't trust politicians."