Derrick and Abdul are street preachers, promoting different religions and in different ways. But why do they spend their time talking to an audience who mostly ignore them?
Derrick Johnson, 47, of Huddersfield represents the Dewsbury Gospel Church of about 60 people, and has been preaching on and off for five years, along with others from his church. “I’m just sharing my experience. I was an alcoholic and I had a difficult childhood. God really changed my life.”
Derrick can be seen in towns and cities across the country, sharing his message of Christianity to the people of wherever he feels needs it.
He said that thanks to God he is a better person. “I’m joyous now, happy, exited. I enjoy life. Twenty-two years ago I gave my life to Christ.I can’t explain the experience. It’s spiritual.”
However, he doesn’t care that a lot of people may not like what he does. All he said he does is share his religious experience and what it could do for others. “It’s just giving people good news, because there’s so much bad news in the world. I think it’s good for them.”
Abdul Azeem, on the other hand doesn’t preach in the traditional sense, rather he invites people to his table to discuss and debate religion, and offers literature on the subject to passers-by.
He promotes Islam as a whole, not any particular sect. He told me he has been doing it for several years “as and when we can.”
"God is commanding us to forbid evil."
He says he does it because it is commanded of him by the Qur’an. “God is commanding us to forbid evil. This is documented in Surah (chapter) three, Ãli Imrãn, verse 104.” Abdul believes that it is his duty as a Muslim to share the word of Islam to as many people as possible, "to save them from hellfire."
He too doesn’t worry about people not wanting to hear his word. “We’re not doing anything British law doesn’t allow. The call of the prophets is a very normal call through history. We’re carrying on the message of the prophets. It’s the same messages, the same words.”