'Death threat' bishop defends words

The Bishop of Rochester, The Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, was placed under police protection after writing in a national newspaper in January that Islamic extremists are creating "no-go areas" for non-Muslims in Britain.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph he said communities dominated by radical Islam give a hostile reception to Christians and those from other faiths.

His comments provoked a strong reaction, with Muslim groups angrily denying the claims and many fellow bishops distancing themselves from the remarks. Prime Minster Gordon Brown also joined those rejecting the comments.

In his first interview since his controversial comments the bishop told the Sunday Telegraph: "The issue had to be raised. There are times when Christian leaders have to speak out. It's my duty.

"If you disagree, that must be met by counter-arguments, not by trying to silence people. It was a threat not just to me, but to my family. I took it seriously, so did the police, it gave me sleepless nights."

The bishop argues a "spiritual and moral vacuum" has developed in Britain in the last half century. He says that if Christianity does not fill the void something else may take its place, and that "could be Islam".

He told the newspaper: "There are extremist movements in this country whose agenda is far from integration, we must be aware of this. It is not only a threat to security but a threat to integration. They are significant enough to influence sections of young people."

Earlier this month Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams praised the bishop's record in Christian Muslim dialogue, but said the phrase used had given "a very unfortunate impression".

Dr Williams himself faced a storm of criticism this month for claiming the adoption of elements of Islamic sharia law in the UK "seems unavoidable". Dr Nazir-Ali told the Sunday Telegraph he agrees with Dr Williams in supporting the right of Muslims to observe their religious freedom, but is strongly opposed to any idea of Islamic sharia law being recognised in the British legal system.