A Tyneside church has been brought into “disrepute” after it backed the asylum application of Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezeidi, a leading Christian organization has said.
Christian Concern has publicly supported the cases of other asylum seekers who have converted to Christianity, but told Sky News the church needs to be stricter to ensure conversions are genuine.
It added that converts should “renounce their previous beliefs” and “accept Jesus as the only God.”
Ezeidi is Baptized at Grange Road Baptist Church, Jarrow June 24, 2018. He claimed to have converted to Christianity, which was the basis for his second asylum application, submitted in 2019.
Like his first application, his application was refused, but he was eventually granted asylum by appeal judges in November 2020 thanks to “compelling” evidence from a retired priest in Grange Road.
Part of Ezedi’s questionnaire on Christianity.Photo: Courts and Judiciary
However, in an interview with Interior Ministry officials, Ezedi could only name four of Jesus’ 12 disciples.
He was granted asylum despite being found guilty of sexual assault and sexual exposure in January 2018.
Handwritten notes from the appeal hearing made little mention of his conviction.
Asked about what happened with “colleagues at a fast food restaurant in South Shields”, Ezeidi responded: “I was there, I wasn’t working. An incident happened.” The note went on to say: “Not going ahead check again.”
The 35-year-old is from Afghanistan, Attacking a mother and her two children with alkali South London in January. His body was later found in the River Thames.
Ezeidi distributed Christian tracts.Photo: Courts and Judiciary
“Not a true convert”
Tim Dieppe, head of public policy at Christian Concern, said: “It doesn’t help the reputational risk to the church when its pastor consistently supports a man who is clearly not a genuine convert.
“I think it’s sad that this kind of thing brings the church into disrepute because it helps people who don’t have legitimate reasons to apply for asylum.”
Mr Dieppe said the church needed to be “more careful” and suggested that “in baptism, converts should renounce their previous faith”.
He added: “They should say, ‘I renounce Islam, I renounce Muhammad. He is not a prophet. I do accept Jesus as the only God’.”
“It would be more difficult for a false convert to make a public statement.”
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Dieppe said the risk of genuine converts not being believed has risen.
“It’s already difficult. In my experience, I know some genuine converts who have tried to get asylum, and I think this makes it even more difficult and makes the system even more biased against believing people about conversion.”
Ezeidi poses for a photo after the chemical attack in January.Picture: Meet the police
read more:
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Two ‘accidental’ bodies discovered during search for Clapham suspect
Baptists Together, the organization representing the church to which Ezedi claims to belong, told Sky News: “Baptist churches in the UK and around the world have always had and will always have a welcoming and compassionate approach to those fleeing war and persecution, famine and the consequences of climate change, with or without the intention of converting to Christianity.
“Whenever anyone, whether an asylum seeker or otherwise, explores the Christian faith in a Baptist church, we take appropriate care to ensure that those who wish to profess the Christian faith understand the deep commitment they are making , especially the need to turn away from wrongdoing and seek to follow the ways of Christ in his love.”
Additional reporting by community producer Nick Stylianou.
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