Prison chaplain in UK claims he was ousted after Imam accused him of extremism

A prison chaplain has claimed that he was removed from his job at Brixton prison in south London after an Islamic Imam accused him of promoting "extreme" Christian views.

Paul Song, who started volunteering at the prison in 1998 after moving to the U.K. from South Korea, has claimed that he was ousted from his position amid accusations that his teachings were "too radical,"

The pastor went on to note that his sacking was based on false allegations made by a Muslim inmate, who claimed that Song referred to him as a "terrorist."

"For 19 years, I served with an exemplary record. I worked alongside the prisoners and other staff members in harmony, recognising our differences and praying that they would come to faith, but equally respecting their decisions and background," Song said, according to Premier.

Song, who was removed from his post in August, said that he came under scrutiny after Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed replaced a Christian as the managing chaplain in 2015. He contended that he had not been shown evidence to support the claims against him and was told by the Ministry of Justice that he could work "anywhere but HMP Brixton."

The former prison chaplain also claimed that he had to cancel evangelistic programs such as the Alpha course due to pressure from the Imam, but his claims were refuted by Alpha, which said that the course had stopped at the prison prior to Ahmed's arrival.

The prison management has stated that Song was sacked following "allegations of misconduct," as well as accusations from Ahmed that he was "being unfavorable to the Christians."

Song, who now works as a pastor in Sutton, south London, has already contacted the Christian Legal Centre, which is now considering legal action against Her Majesty's Prison Service.

A prison service spokesperson issued a statement, saying: "We do not comment on individual members of staff. However, we recognise the importance of faith and the positive impact that it can have on the lives of offenders, which is why there are multi-faith chaplaincy teams in every prison."

Song was not the first Christian prison chaplain who has been ousted from his role due to challenges to his preaching.

In 2015, The Rev. Barry Trayhorn, an ordained Pentecostal minister, claimed that he was forced to resign following a disciplinary process that accused him of quoting Bible verses that prison authorities deemed to be "homophobic."

Trayhorn had argued at the time that he was only quoting traditional teachings, such as 1 Corinthians, Chapter 6, but was castigated for violating Britain's equality laws.