David Schembri
‘Shocked’ Templar group member denies any link to Norway killer
Paul Ray, a resident of Malta, said he was attracted to the island by its Christian tradition. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
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.
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S. Briffa
Jul 28th 2011, 14:19
Attracted by the "Christian tradition" so, that means we are going backwards instead of forward during inquisition times when no other religion is allowed to be practiced, is that why he has an anti Muslim group!! No one can change the future if Muslims will "rule" thus it will be..this is just obsession as in anything and most of all in religions this will proof dangerous in the end!!!
The reason why this person came to reside here as he knows there are alot who are obsessed and believe in religion and he knows in UK he would be monitored since he was investigated already!!!
John Spiteri
Jul 28th 2011, 20:15
S. Briffa
Incredible! Do you really believe that religion is the root of this evil?
Pray tell me which religion preaches such atrocious deeds? Certainly not Christianity, besides the massacre took place in Norway which is surely not a country renowned for people "who are obsessed and believe in religion."
"
S. Briffa
Jul 30th 2011, 12:35
No Mr.Spiteri I don't believe religion is the root of this evil, it's not what I said, no religion does preach this not in books of our Great Creator. If we go back in history there was laws behind religions and it exsisted too in our Christian religion, these are the laws that a human makes to gain, God preached us peace and love not to spread evil!!
This man who is residing in Malta is part of spreading poison on our island against a relgion which is Islam as he says they will rule Europe, these are the extremists which everyone should be aware of, and in relgion as well. There is ONE GOD!!!
Ms eileen R
Jul 28th 2011, 14:19
June 3, 2010 in EDL News, Exclusives
Remember Paul Ray, AKA Lionheart England? Several weeks ago, we reported on him being a likely suspect in the organisation of the riot atop the proposed mosque site in Dudley that resulted in the arrest and incarceration of the English Defence League’s Jon Shaw and Leon McCreery.
It seems like their overshadowing of him in the headlines has prompted him to take more direct action… this time against the EDL leadership.
Ray can be seen on YouTube, ranting about the leadership of the hate group and his involvement in it’s conception. He claims that the roots of the EDL were put together by him, and admits to bringing football thug, Jeff Marsh into the UPL, aswell as the EDL’s links to March For England. He also exposes prominent BNP member, Chris Renton’s involvement in the EDL. Bizarrely, he claims God gave him the mission of creating what we now know as the English Defence League.
Ray also makes reference to his previous arrests for incitement.
Try and ignore the cheesy music; his revelations are worth it. This could well be an early attempt at a coup.
Mr Saliba Francis
Jul 28th 2011, 09:24
Malta's "Christian traditions" have nothing to do with a despicable counter-jihad slauighter carried out in distant Norway when the only tenuous connection is that an expelled "Templar" EDL member chose to settle here.
It won't take long before our entrenched notorious atheist or anti-Catholic lobby will start to submit their malignant comments accusing Maltese Catholics of being somehow responsible for a very unChristian massacre of the innocents alleged by them to be somehow inspired by an inexistent local Catholic version of the Islamist Talibans. And it is to be feared that some section of the local press will give them undeserved publicity in the name of freedom of the press!
Colin Stanley
Jul 28th 2011, 13:00
Excuse me , but this guy did not kill muslims, he killed ordinary norwegians, most probably, mostly Christian, and what did this English person living in Malta do wrong? you mean to tell us that you like everybody, no one in the world gets along with everybody
Mr Saliba Francis
Jul 28th 2011, 16:35
@Colin Stanley.
I did not say anywhere that "this guy killed Muslims" . To me the religion or the race of the murdered victims are irrelevant. What is relevant is that the perpetratorof this atrocity is claiming inspiration from "this English person living in Malta" now, after being ejected from his home country because of his violent racism at home. Your last sentence, in execrable English, does not make sense to me, a local indigenous Maltese national.
Colin Stanley
Jul 28th 2011, 19:34
If by execrable English , you are saying that I don't write perfect English, you might be right, I never said that I write ,or speack perfect English, what I meant in my last sentence was that if people like you say that they like everyone in the world, they are telling FIBS.
Mr Saliba Francis
Jul 28th 2011, 20:36
@Colin Stanley.
Congratulations on the comprehensible English used in your last comment.
I ignore with contempt your imputation that I, and other Christians like me, obeying Christ's admonition to love also our enemies, are a pack of liars. I do not claim to "like everybody". I disagree with many people and I argue with them frequently, but I do not dislike or hate them to the point of harming or killing them.
Mr Graham Holme
Jul 29th 2011, 01:27
Pray tell where did you get your information,that the perpetrator of this atrocity,claimed inspiration from"this English person living in Malta?"
All Paul Ray is guilty of?Highlighting the threat of Radical Islam,not only in Britain,but throughout Europe
He fled the UK,due to various threats regarding his well being,from Islam,Muslims"The religion of peace"
Mr Saliba Francis
Jul 29th 2011, 11:23
@Graham Holme.
Read the original item as it appeared in The Telegraph.
Mr Graham Holme
Jul 29th 2011, 12:30
I read the Brothers Grimm,but do not believe all I read.
This madman has been,influenced by much bigger fish,than Paul Ray,E.D.L etc
Mr Saliba Francis
Jul 29th 2011, 20:57
@Graham Holme
You asked a question and I obliged with a prompt answer. I suspected that you thought I was inventing and that I had no source. I disabused you by promptly giving you one out of several. You may check further by reading what The Times (London) said if you do not fancy The Telegraph. You do not want to believe me or any quoted sources because that truth is not congenial to your mind set. I supplied the information that you asked for yourself. Beyond that, please feel free to choose whom to believe.