The Rev Ian Brown was speaking at a recent Sunday evening service in defence of Pastor James McConnell, whom he described as a "prophet".

The Free Presbyterian minister told his flock last Sunday evening he felt the situation had become "thoroughly ridiculous".

In a sermon posted on the Martyr's Memorial website, Rev Brown is heard saying: "Now the allies and sympathisers of Islam are up on their hind legs; what we can call that secularist Taliban who dominate our medium, they are sharpening their literary sabres and they are swinging for him, their attempt at their own version of a verbal hanging with a couple of blistering attacks which were passed ...