Marsascala vice parish priest Fr Stephen Attard is insisting he was “misinterpreted” by a parishioner who publicly accused him of using a homily to spread Islamophobia.

The young priest defended his homily and insisted he did not generalise about all Muslims when he mentioned the atrocities perpetrated by fundamentalists in Iraq and Syria against Christians and other minorities.

“This is not a figment of my imagination but it is being relentlessly reported in the media,” Fr Attard says.

In an opinion piece today (see page 16) the priest rebutts a Talking Point that appeared last week by educationalist Sandro Spiteri, a Marsascala parishioner.

Mr Spiteri took umbrage at the homily Fr Attard delivered on August 17 at the Marsascala parish church during which the priest was reported to have said Muslims were telling Christians to be afraid “for a great battle is coming during which Muslims will take over Europe”.

Fr Attard insists that is not what he said and his view of the world was “not blinkered” and conditioned by “phobias of any kind”.

He says his knowledge of Islam was enriched six years ago through an experience with the Maltese Dominican community among the Christians and Muslims in Albania.

Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna had told this newspaper he may have “a frank and friendly chat” with the priest over the complaint, adding however that the reported rhetoric was very similar to sermons delivered on Victory Day when Malta commemorated the lifting of the Great Siege in 1565.

But the young priest, who only joined the Marsascala parish before the summer, was widely defended by commentators, who posted their message with the online version of the report on timesofmalta.com.

He was praised by many for being honest about what they claimed was the true face of Islam with some even roping in the “threat” posed by irregular migrants to the Maltese way of life.