(Photo: Facebook/Mike Overd)
Mike Overd, a street evangelist and
client of the British group Christian Legal Centre in the U.K. (seen in this
undated photo), has been charged under Section 5 of the Public Order Act with
"causing offense" for public remarks where he drew a comparison
between Jesus Christ and Muhammad, September 2014.
Mike Overd, a street preacher in the
United Kingdom, is facing three charges of "causing offense," a
violation of Section 5 of the Public Order Act for public remarks comparing
Jesus Christ and the Muslim prophet Muhammad, whom he said had married a
9-year-old girl.
Overd has argued that his comments
about Muhammad were not intended to be hateful, as his speech included, "a
simple comparison and it was factual."
"I have no hatred of Muslims in
me at all and only preach the truth of the Gospel. Recently a Muslim man came
to my defense when I was preaching and a local shopkeeper started to shout at
me," said Overd, who's been a
street preacher for five years and has evangelised in Glasgow, Scotland, and
Sheffield, Manchester and Taunton, England.
"The Muslim gentleman didn't
take offense because he said he knew I was simply preaching what I believed and
agreed there was no hatred in me. I've got this incident on video, and I also
have video evidence of the incidents which have led to this forthcoming
prosecution," he said, according to Christian Concern.
In June, Taunton Police Sgt. Neil
Kimmins advised the public to video record Overd's street evangelism on their
cellphones "if they think he is making offensive remarks," according
to the Somerset County Gazette.
"I've done nothing wrong before
Almighty God. My conscience is clear," Overd told the Gazette about his
preaching of the Gospel.
This is not the first time Overd has
faced similar changes of violating the law while street preaching.
On Feb. 10, 2012, Overd was found
not guilty of violating the Public Order Act 1986 for comments he made about
homosexuality.
When Overd saw two men in a civil
partnership walking down Taunton High Street arm in arm two years ago, he said
publically: "even these dear men caught in homosexuality, if they ask God
for forgiveness of sin can be forgiven their sin; God loves them that
much," Christian Concern reported.
Subsequently, the couple complained
to police, which led to Overd's arrest on charges of committing a "hate
crime."
Speaking after the trial, Overd
said, "something is wrong" when "police arrest me, a Christian
preacher who cares deeply for Jesus Christ and the people of Taunton," the
BBC reported. "Something has to change and I
hope my case will encourage others not to be scared to speak up for
Christ."
Enacted in 1986, Section 5 of the
Public Order Act deals with public speech that may involve "harassment,
alarm or distress."
Section 5 notes that a public
speaker is guilty of such if said speaker "uses threatening, abusive or
insulting words or behaviour" or "displays any writing, sign or other
visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting."
"An offence under this section
may be committed in a public or a private place, except that no offence is
committed where the words or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or other
visible representation is displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and the
other person is also inside that or another dwelling," continued Section 5.
Over the past few years, various
street preachers in the U.K. have found themselves dealing with legal issues
due to their speaking on topics like Islam and homosexuality.
In 2010, Dale Mcalpine was arrested
for declaring in public that homosexuality is a sin. By May of that year, crown
prosecutors opted to drop the charges.
"It was a ridiculous charge, I
should never have been arrested. … I'm relieved that they have seen
sense," said Mcalpine in May of that year.
In 2013, an American evangelist
preaching in Wimbledon was arrested under the charge of violating Section 5, as
he had spoken of homosexuality being sexually immoral.
Preacher Tony Miano countered that
he was actually addressing overall sexual immorality, and simply cited
homosexuality as an example.
"I was asked if I believe
homosexuality is a sin. I was asked what portion of the Bible I was reading. I
was asked that if a homosexual was hungry and walked up to me, would I give
them something to eat," Miano said that summer.
"This idea that open air
preachers only preach about homosexuality is fallacious. We talk about all
forms of sin. We usually take people through the Ten Commandments. We explain
to people that no liar, no thief, no fornicator, no blasphemer, no homosexual,
will enter into the kingdom of God," he added.
It is expected that Overd's case
will go to court before the end of the year, according to Christian Concern.
Overd is being represented by the Christian
Legal Centre.
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