The UK Home Office has claimed “Christianity is not a religion of peace” after rejecting an Iranian Christian man’s bid for asylum after converting.
Nathan Stevens, a London-based immigration caseworker, posted excerpts from the Home Office letter on Twitter.
The letter cites various passages from the Old Testament, along with Matthew’s Gospel and Revelation in an attempt to prove Christianity is at odds with the man’s claim that he converted after discovering Christianity is a ‘peaceful’ religion.
“I’ve seen a lot over the years, but even I was genuinely shocked to read this unbelievably offensive diatribe being used to justify a refusal of asylum,” Mr Stevens said on Twitter.
Excerpt from a home office reasons for refusal letter for a convert to Christianity. I’ve seen a lot over the years, but even I was genuinely shocked to read this unbelievably offensive diatribe being used to justify a refusal of asylum. pic.twitter.com/R1wA1HMNwH
— Nathan Stevens (@nathestevens) March 19, 2019
Astonishingly, the Home Office went on to mock the Iranian man’s faith saying: “You affirm in your AIR that Jesus is your saviour, but then claimed that he would not be able to save you from the Iranian regime… It is therefore considered that you have no conviction in your faith and your belief in Jesus is half-hearted.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This letter is not in accordance with our policy approach to claims based on religious persecution, including conversions to a particular faith.”
“We continue to work closely with key partners, including the APPG on International Freedom of Religion and a range of faith groups, to improve our policy guidance and training provided to asylum decision-makers so that we approach claims involving religious conversion in the appropriate way,” the spokesperson went on to say.
After copping backlash for their refusal to accept an asylum seeker on the basis of the Bible, the Home Office has reportedly agreed to reconsider the man’s application.
Last year, The Sun reported that almost 400 British jihadis who fought for ISIS in Syria have returned to the UK and are free to roam the streets. Only one tenth of those who had returned have been prosecuted for “direct action they carried out in Syria.”
