Evangelist arrested for criticizing Islam, gender ideology after a couple complained

A British pastor has been arrested for criticizing Islam and gender ideology, his latest encounter with law enforcement amid concerns about the state of free speech in the United Kingdom. 

The conservative nonprofit legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom International announced in a statement Monday that Pastor Dia Moodley was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police for criticizing Islam and transgender ideology while preaching in Bristol city centre on Nov. 22.

Moodley was arrested on suspicion of violating a provision of the Public Order Act 1986, which bans “inciting religious hatred.” 

ADF International clarified that the arrest stemmed from Moodley’s remarks, insisting that there is a “gender binary” and his discussion of Christianity and other religions, including Islam.

While Moodley engaged in respectful dialogue with several people gathered in Bristol city centre, one couple objected to his comments about trans-identified people and called the police. After taking statements from those who objected to Moodley’s speech, police arrested the pastor for “inciting religious hatred” and committing a “religiously aggravated” offense. 

Video footage of the arrest shows Moodley urging police officers to place the handcuffs on the front of his body since he has a heart condition. A supporter of Moodley, who was not visible on camera, told the officers, “You’re making a big mistake,” and “You’re not checking eyewitnesses,” and accused them of bias by “taking one eyewitness over another.” The officers defended their actions, asking, “We’re duty bound, aren’t we?” 

Moodley spent eight hours in custody and was released with bail conditions prohibiting him from entering Bristol city centre throughout the Christmas season. Although the charges were later dropped, law enforcement officials visited Moodley’s home in January to question him about the November incident and invite him to participate in a voluntary interview. Moodley is still unsure whether he will face criminal charges for his speech. 

“This latest arrest has had a profoundly negative effect on me and has been extremely challenging personally,” Moodley said. “I am a law-abiding citizen and it feels surreal that the police have criminalized me so harshly and repeatedly merely for peacefully expressing my Christian views in the public square.”

"The police view me, a Christian pastor, as an easy target and are afraid of others being offended by my lawful speech,” Moodley added. “This is two-tier policing in action.”

Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF International, cited Moodley’s arrest as evidence that “police are using public order legislation to impose de facto blasphemy laws in the UK.” Igunnubole said Moodley's case "is far from an isolated incident" and "part of a clear pattern" by local police of targeting the pastor for his "peaceful expression in the public square."

"[Police] have failed in their duty to investigate serious crimes committed against him, by those who objected to his speech," the lawyer stressed. 

“The police must stop their two-tier approach of criminalizing lawful 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,” Igunnubole added. “Pastor Dia’s case is all the more pressing as the government finalizes its broad and ambiguous definition of ‘anti-Muslim hatred,’ which risks censoring legitimate speech related to Islam.” 

The attorney explained that the pastor's case is an example of how authorities "can misconstrue peaceful comments on Islam as ‘hateful’ and criminal."

“This misconstruction will be repeated unless clarity is provided to preserve the ability of citizens to peacefully comment, discuss and criticize in accordance with their core beliefs," Ingunnubole stated. 

Moodley was previously arrested in March 2024 for making similar comments about Islam and the binary nature of sex. In addition to spending 13 hours in custody, Moodley had signs stolen from him by students at the nearby Bristol University. 

When he preached in Bristol on another occasion, Moodley encountered hostile protesters, including a Muslim bystander who threatened to stab him and a group of Muslim bystanders who pinned him to the ground and attempted to steal his Quran. Moodley held the Quran as he preached in Bristol in an attempt to highlight the differences between Christianity and Islam.

When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they did little to subdue the hostile protesters, one of whom continued to threaten him. While a senior inspector later arrived at the scene and assured Moodley he would not be arrested, the pastor filed a complaint against the police.