Spanish priest faces 3-year prison sentence over ‘Islamophobic’ remarks

Spanish priest Custodio Ballester faces up to three years in prison and a fine after being charged over allegedly Islamophobic remarks made in an article.

Ballester, who was sued by the Spanish Muslim Association Against Islamophobia, stood trial on October 1 at the Málaga Provincial Court. The case concerns a 2017 article he wrote titled “Dialogue with Islam Is Impossible.”

Following the hearing, Ballester defended his statements as an exercise of free speech.
“This case is crucial for the future of freedom of expression in Spain,” he said. “If the ruling goes against me, we’re heading toward a new Cuban-style dictatorship. The hate law is like a blank check—prosecutors can’t even define what hate is. They only accuse non-Muslims; they never accuse Muslims.”

Ballester claimed the lawsuit represents a threat to free expression and vowed to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights if convicted.

In the article at the center of the controversy, Ballester wrote:

“Islam does not allow dialogue. You either believe or you are a disbeliever and will be subdued in some way—that’s what they always do. Don’t tell us how bad Christianity was and claim Islam is pure peace. Let’s not fool ourselves. The Islam of today and of all times, which we try to reconcile with Christianity, promotes charity on one hand and arms itself on the other to destroy anyone who refuses to recognize Allah and Muhammad as God’s final prophet.”