Pastor's Muslim plea sparks racist abuse

From the Echo, first published Tuesday 26th Jul 2005.

A BOSCOMBE pastor, whose multi-faith congregation includes members of the Muslim community, has become the target of racist abuse outside his home in Winton.

The Rev Dr Barry Rathbone of the Beacon Project gave a TV interview after the London bombings two weeks ago, in which he expressed his concern about making ordinary Muslims the scapegoats for the bombings.

Last weekend he received a warning for expressing these views.

"I parked my car around the corner on Friday morning and came back the next day to find a hand written note saying: `Be warned, You're Next Muslim Lover'. My wing mirror had been broken and there was a scratch down the side.

"There was a group of people screaming and shouting outside the house at about 11.30pm on Thursday night but I don't know if the two incidents were connected.

"I live next door to Majid Yasin who is the imam at the mosque in St Stephens Road, who had had his wing mirror ripped off.

"I only bought the car on Monday and it is only the people in the road who know I had it, so it could be someone who knows me."

"The worst thing is that this is my mother's house and she does not deserve this."

The Rev Rathbone had been in London, just off Russell Square when one of the bombs exploded in nearby Tavistock Place at 9.45am.

Alternative arrangements to go to Brighton were also thwarted when the pier was evacuated.

Mr Rathbone is determined that the extremist views of a racist minority will not interfere with the practice of his Beacon Project, which meets at the chapel in Boscombe Cemetery in Gloucester Road.

"We will not let this affect the work we do," he pledged.

"We do a lot of work in the community with homeless people and home support, 30 per cent of whom are of the Islamic faith."

Imam Majid Yasin, who reported Thursday's incident to the police along with Mr Rathbone, said: "There was a group of around 15 to 20 people screaming and shouting in general outside the house on the Thursday night."

The imam added: "They seemed drunk but I didn't see if they damaged anything."

First published: July 26, 2005

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