An English anti-jihad blogger who lives in Malta, and whom the British press have linked to Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, said he was attracted to the island by its “Christian tradition”.
Paul Ray, 35, who blogs under the pseudonym Lionheart, denied knowing or mentoring Mr Breivik after the British press discovered a mention of his nickname in the murderer’s 1,500 page manifesto, posted hours before Friday’s massacre in which he killed over 76 people in bombing and shooting attacks in Oslo and Utoya island.
Speaking to The Times yesterday, Mr Ray strenuously denied any connection to Mr Breivik and said he was shocked by his acts. His pseudonym was mentioned twice in the manifesto but his blog or his real name was never cited.
Mr Ray still admitted that he shared Mr Breivik’s view that “millions of Muslims” were “bent on ruling the world” but pointed out that he saw “no link at all” to “killing close to a hundred children”.
The blogger, who was investigated unsuccessfully for incitement to racial hatred in the UK, said he eventually left his country to escape the “Muslim enclave” he lived in and because he was attracted by Malta’s “Christian tradition”.
He also shares Mr Breivik’s fascination with the crusades and the Knights but denied being a part of the templar association mentioned by Mr Breivik.
Instead, he has been a member of the “Ancient Order of Templar Knights (AOTK) for over three years”, a group of people “that have a common belief, and speak about issues that are affecting Christendom...”
The connection with Mr Breivik stems from the latter’s claim that in 2002 he had been “ordained” into an anti-Muslim organisation called the “PCCTS, Knights Templar Europe, where he was assigned a ‘mentor’ who was referred to as “Richard (the Lionhearted)”.
British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph made the connection to Mr Ray. He told the newspaper that he worried Mr Breivik might have used his blog for inspiration and taken it too far.
“I don’t sincerely think (he read my blog), I have a fear, that’s all. And time will tell the truth,” he told The Times.
Contrary to Mr Breivik, however, Mr Ray said he was “fighting the invasion” by writing in his blog to “inform people, to educate”.
He conceded that his writings could spur xenophobia but insisted that he “is not racist. I understand not all Muslims are bad”.
He started his blog in 2007. And shortly after that was investigated and put on bail for 18 months on suspicions of inciting racial hatred but was released in 2009 “as they had nothing to charge me on”.
He was also one of the founders of anti-jihadist protest group English Defence League, which he left after it became violent in its demonstrations.
“My heartfelt sympathies go to the people of Norway over this tragedy, and especially families involved in this tragedy, and I’m just shocked and horrified that this man has committed these acts in the name of Christianity and Templarism,” Mr Ray concludes.