THE perpetrator of the Clapham alkali attack, Abdul Ezedi, was baptised at a Baptist church in Jarrow, South Tyneside, before his successful asylum appeal, court documents have revealed.
Mr Ezedi was the topic of a manhunt after attacking a lady and two children in Clapham, south London, on 31 January (News, 9 February). His body was later present in the River Thames.
The woman who was attacked is reported to have lost the sight in a single eye. She and her daughters are understood to be connected with a C of E church in the world.
During the investigation, it emerged that Mr Ezedi, who was an Afghan national, had been baptised, and that his conversion to Christianity was referred to in his asylum claim.
Now, court documents, released for the primary time after an application from a bunch of media organisations, provide details of his baptism and the way it was referred to in his asylum appeal.
According to reports, the documents show that Mr Ezedi was baptised in June 2018 at Grange Road Baptist Church, Jarrow. He had been attending the church since 2016.
A letter to the court from the previous ministry-team leader on the church, the Revd Roy Merrin, states: “Abdul has attended an Alpha Course organised by the church and, in consequence of him coming to faith within the Lord Jesus Christ, has been baptised by total immersion.
“Abdul has established an excellent relationship with the opposite church members, and is all the time willing to assist as required. Apart from that, Abdul has been able to share his faith in Christ with non-Christians.
“I hope that this information will probably be of assistance, and I might support his application to stay on this country.”
The judge who heard Mr Ezedi’s appeal said in his judgment that “essentially the most compelling evidence was that of the previous Reverend Merrin.”
The court documents also contained a “safeguarding contract”, seemingly drawn up by the church in 2018 after Mr Ezedi was convicted of sexual assault and exposure, which stipulated that he needed to be accompanied at services.
Mr Merrin has told media outlets that he has no comment to make in regards to the issue.
Baptists Together told Sky News: “Baptists Together didn’t corporately support or sponsor Abdul Ezedi’s asylum application. A private letter of support commenting solely on Abdul Ezedi’s observed faith journey was written by a retired Baptist minister.
“The safeguarding contract was a separate issue and was agreed between the church and Abdul Ezedi, with guidance from local and regional safeguarding leads using our national template document of the time.
“This was to point out the church had sufficiently risk assessed Abdul Ezedi’s attendance at church, ensuring the security of the congregation and considering if it was appropriate for him to attend.
“The Home Office make the ultimate decision on asylum applications and have access to full criminal records data to enable them to do that.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “All asylum claims are fastidiously considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules. This signifies that religious conversions don’t guarantee a grant of asylum.
“We have engaged with a wide selection of stakeholders to assist us to enhance our policy guidance, training for asylum decision makers, and to make sure we approach claims involving religious conversion in the suitable way.”
The initial reports that Mr Ezedi had been baptised, and that his conversion was referred to in his successful asylum claim, led to increased scrutiny of the part played by Christian organisations in asylum appeals.
In the aftermath of the incident, before it was known which denomination Mr Ezedi had been attached to, a Church House spokesperson said: “This is clearly a shocking and distressing incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by it.
“It is the role of the Home Office, and never the Church, to vet asylum-seekers and judge the merits of their individual cases.
Subsequently, a priest formerly within the C of E, the Revd Matthew Firth, alleged that there was a “conveyer belt” of bogus asylum claims. This was disputed the Rt Revd Paul Butler (News, 16 February), then Bishop of Durham.
Mr Firth’s claims were examined by a Parliamentary Select Committee earlier in March. He gave evidence that he had baptised seven potential asylum-seekers, and that others lost interest in baptism when he told them they’d need to attend services regularly (News, 12 March).
During the identical hearing, the Minister for Legal Migration, Tom Pursglove, said that the Home Office had no evidence to suggest that there was widespread abuse of the system.
Representatives from the C of E, Roman Catholic Church, and Baptist Union were also called to provide evidence.
The Baptist Union’s public-issues enabler, the Revd Steve Tinning, outlined the method that ordinarily someone looking for baptism can be expected to follow. This included regular attendance and a demonstrable understanding of the religion.
He also spoke of the abuse and threats received by a Baptist church in Weymouth, which is attended by asylum-seekers. He read an extract from an email received by the church, describing it as “treacherous”, and warning “Brace yourselves.”
After the hearing, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, told the Church Times: “I might encourage our churches to proceed offering support and welcome, as we all the time have done, and as is our role in society, but in addition to be mindful of all the time being honest and truthful, and inside the bounds of what’s legal.”
Churches, she said, offered an environment wherein refugees might be welcomed, helped to integrate, and supported, each practically and spiritually; but she emphasised that responsibility for judging asylum claims rested with the Home Office.
