Anti-Islam preacher arrested after giving street sermon

Abu Sabet: A Christian preacher backed by the White House was arrested for “inciting racial hatred” after he gave a street sermon in Bristol, it has emerged.

Officers detained evangelical pastor Dia Moodley, 58, for eight hours in November last year for “commenting on Islam and transgender ideology”, according to his legal counsel. The father of four has been supported by the Trump administration following a meeting with US officials who fear freedom of speech is under threat in the UK.

Mr Moodley, who is being represented by ADF UK, the British arm of the faith-based legal organisation Alliance Defending Freedom, has faced repeated enforcement action by Avon and Somerset Police in the past four years. He added: “I am a law-abiding citizen, and it feels surreal that the police have criminalised me so harshly and repeatedly merely for peacefully expressing my Christian views in the public square.

“Unfortunately, I believe that the police view me, a Christian pastor, as an easy target and are afraid of others being offended by my lawful speech. This is two-tier policing in action.”

He was initially arrested on Saturday Nov 22 in Broadmead, Bristol, on suspicion of a racially/religiously aggravated public order offence, and assault by beating.

He was later released on bail conditions that prevented him from entering the city centre, originally until the end of December.

Police then visited his home in January and questioned him further.

Sharing the news of his latest arrest, he said it “had a profoundly negative effect on me and has been extremely challenging personally”. It is the second time that Mr Moodley has been arrested over his street preaching, ADF UK said.

Mr Moodley also faced police action in March 2024 after commenting on Islam and saying that sex was binary while street preaching outside Bristol University.

In 2021, he was also banned from “passing comment” on any other faith outside of Christianity, along with giving sermons without police approval. In an interview with The Telegraph, the preacher said he was “pleased” to be offered an invitation to meet a five-person US state department team in London.

“We’ve been crying out here in the United Kingdom for quite a few years now, especially over the last year or two. Our position has been that free speech is in crisis,” he said. ‘De facto blasphemy law’

Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF International, said: “Pastor Dia’s arrest for peacefully commenting on Islam and transgender ideology shows police are using public order legislation to impose de facto blasphemy laws in the UK.

“This is far from an isolated incident. It is part of a clear pattern of behaviour from Avon and Somerset Police, who for years have targeted Pastor Dia for his peaceful expression in the public square and have failed in their duty to investigate serious crimes committed against him by those who objected to his speech.

“There has long been a pressing need for Parliament to pass legislation to ensure the right to freedom of expression is robustly protected in this country.

“Pastor Dia’s case is all the more pressing as the Government finalises its broad and ambiguous definition of ‘anti-Muslim hatred’, which risks censoring legitimate speech related to Islam.”

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: “A 58-year-old man was arrested at about 2.30pm on Saturday 22 November in Broadmead, Bristol, on suspicion of assault by beating and of a racially/religiously aggravated public order offence.

“He was later released on police bail until the end of December, with a condition not to attend areas of Bristol city centre, including Broadmead.

“These conditions however were ultimately lifted by a supervisory officer in mid-December following representations from the arrested man.”

The force has been approached for further comment over the claim that it had “targeted” Mr Moodley.