John Steele, who has spent a quarter-century sharing his Christian faith without incident, told GB News he felt "flabbergasted" and "frightened" after he was detained by police for questioning Islamic teachings during a public conversation in Rotherham.
"I feel silenced," Steele declared, describing how a theological question led to fingerprinting and DNA collection at the police station.
The 60-year-old former miner was threatened with a "non-crime hate incident" after engaging with a Muslim woman at a domestic abuse awareness stall.
His brief exchange, which lasted approximately half a minute, resulted in his arrest when he declined to provide personal details to officers.
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|John Steele said that he feels "silenced "
The incident occurred on June 21 when Steele approached a stall focused on supporting ethnic minority victims of domestic violence.
According to his account, he initiated contact by asking whether the woman was Muslim, to which she responded with a "smile and nod."
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Steele then inquired how she reconciled her work helping abuse victims with Surah 4:34 from the Quran, which he claimed permits husbands to "discipline" their wives. He contrasted this with Christian teachings about husbands sacrificing themselves for their spouses before walking away.
The woman subsequently flagged down officers, reporting that she felt threatened by Steele's approach. Police body camera footage captured the evangelist holding a placard featuring a biblical verse calling for repentance.
Officers responding to the complaint informed Steele that his conduct constituted "anti-social behaviour." Body-worn camera recordings show the preacher laughing incredulously whilst declaring "the world's gone mad" and insisting he had merely posed a straightforward question.
When he refused to comply, maintaining his innocence, officers escorted him to their vehicle. His representatives later confirmed he was transported to Rotherham police station where authorities took his fingerprints and DNA samples.
The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently dropped the case, determining prosecution wasn't in the public interest.
Steele told GB News: "I’m a Christian I love Muslims. My desire is for their good, not for their harm. So to say that asking someone a question is hateful it’s frightening, really. It’s scary.
"What about in the workplace? Where does it end? Conversations will be shut down and they shouldn’t be. A healthy society should be able to question, ask, investigate.
"That’s what I do on the streets and I’m open to being questioned too. If you’re secure in what you believe, that shouldn’t be a threat. But if you're not, you put the barriers up and that’s exactly what seems to be happening.
He added: "I believe what the Bible says. Jesus said: “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.”
SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE/GB NEWS | South Yorkshire Police said they had 'reviewed the footage' and determined that 'a proportionate response was delivered by officers'"You need something to knit society together common beliefs, common values.
"I’m not saying people shouldn’t be allowed to come here. But when you have two clashing cultures, it’s scary.
"One seems to be trying to dominate the other silencing, browbeating. That’s how it feels. So no, I don’t think Islam is compatible with Western society."
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “On 21 June, while on patrol in Rotherham town centre, officers were approached by a woman who reported that a man approached her and was acting in an intimidating way.
“Officers located a man matching the description given by the woman and requested his details to record a non-crime hate incident (NCHI).
“The man refused to provide his details following several requests from officers who explained the consequences of not doing so. Following this, he was arrested under Section 50 of the Police Reform Act 2002.
“A case file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service and a decision not to authorise charges against the man was made.
“The footage of the incident has been reviewed by both our Professional Standards Department. It has been determined a proportionate response was delivered by officers.”
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