Eliza, stop thinking that everyone is perfect. Hindus and Sikhs arent so perfect so get things right. Idiotic comments about religion is what pulls peoples strings. To the person who said we should be sent back, why? I think i have every right to stay here freely thanks to the fact that the British Colony once invaded and occupied muslim countries.

Not every muslim is racist nor do we have any issues with people from different religions. Maybe you should get to know more muslims who have realistic views. Any individual with extermist views shouldnt be calling themselves a muslim. Its a few messed up people that bring a bad name to a religion.

Muslims do not practise forced marriages, once again get YOUR FACTS RIGHT ! Forced marriage is against Islam! GET IT RIGHT!

Stop having racist views, we are not here to break the Church of England. I hope some people will clearly read this and understand. Not every Muslim hates people.

Rahman, London, UK

Jennifer Hynes of Plymouth wrote: "Race hate attacks against white people are rare, as are faith-based attacks against Christian targets. This is also a fact."

Yes, Jen, a "fact" in Plymouth, maybe, but try living on the front line here in London!

Brian Clacey, Croydon, UK

As our society becomes more polarized I fear that attacks like this will become commonplace. For example, I consider that a significant number of Muslims will see the increasing influence of the Church of England in state education and social care as a worrying development. Rightly or wrongly, there will be Muslims who will see members of their own community losing out to Christians without justification.

Des, Edinburgh,

"Imam condemns attack on clergyman by asian drunks."

It's just the preamble to a devious plot to legitimise a ban on alcohol in the area.

Antonio, Estepona,

Good evening from New York City, dear British friends.

Please throw the bums OUT already!

The first step is the ballot box. There is a party that has the welfare of Britain as its theme.

Second.. should we begin to consider sending the Guardian Angels over there to handle business?

Charlie Hammer, New York, USA

Eliza. Forced marriages are practiced widely in India by Hindus. This includes Child marriages , which although outlawed stil go on today. Yes you're right that there should be a distinction, but please also get your facts right. In addition, should each moron that beats up an old lady be classd as Christian if he is so, or should we just say British?

Hamad Lone, London, England

I suspect that this is the first generation of children who are products of sectarian religious schools. It does seem as if New Labour have become the party of religious extremism. Surely massive taxpayer funding and empowering of opposed beliefs in this manner can only bring about a similar situation as existed in Ireland. Why does this funding seem similar to an arms dealer who funds both sides in a war, except that in this case it is not to make profits but in my opinion could be to buy votes.

Keith, Rayleigh, England

Is it politically incorrect to call a spade a spade? Why are you clubbing all the Asians together for a perfidious act performed by Muslim hooligans?

arindam, kolkata, india

I wish the general public and the media (who should know better) would make the distinction between Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs. If you get to know a Hindu or Sikh (like I have) you would know they have very little in common with Muslims, apart from the fact that they have brown skin.

Time and time again, I have read or heard on TV (including on the BBC and in the Times-both of which should know better) the term Asian used to refer to Muslim activities.
"Asian rioters in Bradford"- the rioters were Muslim.
"Asians beat up clergyman"-they were Muslim
"Asian forced marriages"-NO, Muslims practice this widely
The list can go on and on.

My Hindu friends all say they are sick of it. Please stop being so lazy or afraid to offend Muslims. It's not offensive, if they do it, they should be shown up for it. You are allowing them to hide behind the innocent Hindhus and Sikhs!!!

Eliza, Manchester, UK

What would Jesus do, what would Jesus do.

"When someone asks you 'think about what Jesus would do', remember that a valid option is to 'lose it' and turn over tables"

Jay, St albans,

Mrs Ainsworth said "...Quite clearly, there are mindless individuals in every community under the influence of drink and drugs who will engage in random acts of violence"

Can she not bring herself to admit that this was actually caused by two competing superstitions which make mutually exclusive claims. As a proselytiser for one of them, she carries a share of the responsibility.

John Jones, London,

As a former Shadwell resident, now thankfully overseas from the mess that is the UK, I am very saddened by this. I should qualify things somewhat. My wife and I never received any abuse, religious, racial or otherwise during our time there. I just hope that this is an isolated incident.

D Evans, Hong Kong,

How long will it take for people to stop dismissing acts of this kind as 'isolated' or 'random' or 'extremist'? Do we not have enough examples yet? Are we all just hoping that if we ignore the problem it will just go away? Are we just hoping that if we treat people well that they will treat us well in return?
The path to hell is paved with good intentions.
Oh how misguided, weak and naive multi-culturalism will look in 50 years time when it becomes clear that all it has done is create a power vacuum from which a strong mono-culture will emerge.

Dave, Melbourne, Australia

Sad state of affairs! What's Gordon Brown thinking? Brits, please learn from the mistakes we made in India! Don't try and appease these religious fanatics like we did.

Wake up England!

Ashish Deodhar, Mumbai, India

Bob, the reference to 'Asians' in the UK context normally refers to people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Not, in the American context that is used to describe 'Asians'; which usually refers to people who are Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Although, officially in the UK the term 'Asian' will also include people from China, Japan and Korea, but unofficially many people (but not all) will differentiate between the two by using the word oriental (although the use of this word is considered to be offensive by many) to express a difference between the Asians from the far east and the sub continent. Hope this helped.

Hilly, London/NY,

Mecca has come to London. Churches are not allowed in Mecca. Now the Muslims are trying to ban them in London and soon in the rest of the UK.

Ted Baines, New York, USA

Seems to be an element of cognitive dissonance here...

“We do know that in this area there is no concerted campaign against Christians and Christian buildings.” (Ainsworth's wife, who has only been there a few months...)

Allan Ramanoop, an Asian member of the parochial church council, said that parishioners were often too scared to challenge the gangs. “I’ve been physically threatened and verbally abused on the steps of the church,” he said. “On one occasion, youths shouted: ‘This should not be a church, this should be a mosque, you should not be here’.

“I just walked away from it – you are too frightened to challenge them.

We have church windows smashed two to three times a month. The youths are antiChristian. It’s terrible what they have done to Canon Ainsworth.”

sunnica, Edinburgh,

The majority of attacks are against Muslims. This is a cold hard fact. Race hate attacks against white people are rare, as are faith-based attacks against Christian targets. This is also a fact.

I am dismayed at the clearly xenophobic if not racist comments made by some here. Conflating Asian with Muslim is a popular pasttime of the less informed sections of the British public, and the two go hand in hand when pseudo-Britishness outrage is given vent.

Given the current climate of paranoia that has been engendered by this governments' mishandling of foreign policy and its lack of moral guidance, these things will happen. You cannot condone them, but they will happen. As a society we need to understand the complaints of others, and stop being so arrogant about our place in the world. We cannot go throwing our weight around, expecting our lives to go unchallenged.

Lin in London, Jesus? Love your enemy? Judge not, lest you be judged? Ring any bells? What would Jesus do? Think about it.

Jennifer Hynes, Plymouth, England

In January, the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, claimed that parts of Britain had become “no-go areas” for non-Muslims. The Times reported that Gordon Brown denied bishop's 'no-go' area claims, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, said she did not recognise his description of no-go areas and described his remarks as “pretty unhelpful.”
New Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has described the claims as “a gross caricature of reality” and the Muslim Council of Britain accused the bishop of scaremongering.

Sadly for Michael Ainsworth, the bishops 'unhelpful' comments are a painful reality in his area. Thanksfully the politicians can claim on their expenses for the cab fares to keep them from recognising reality at their doorsteps.

Peter Bricknell, London, UK

'A very sensible member of the Anglican Church recently brought up the issue of 'No go areas' and was to all intents and purposes dismissed by his fellow clergy. Please, let's wake up. If these people want mosques they are more than welcome to them in Bangladesh.

Tony Hillbear, London,

This is just the beginning.
This sort of attack will become more common, we are paying the penalty for the neglect of our own culture and values, we will reap the whirlwind in time.

katherine langton, Blackburn, England

The CofE must obviously have known about bricks being thrown through the windows of this church, and the increase in attacks on clergy, but has distanced itself from Dr Michael Nazir-Ali's statement about no-go areas. Instead the AofC seems determined to join hands with Islam in a breathtaking display of cowardice. It's a pity that christians are unable to understand that Jesus was a pacifist but not a coward.

Interestingly Nick Tolson confirmed the suspicions of many people when he said "police and prosecutors will classify an attack on a mosque or muslim as a hate crime but not if it is a church or a vicar". The same seems to be applied to a white person attacked by a minority. How many times have the police, without any investigation, said they don't think it is a race crime. It is time this outrageous protection of minorities was stopped and political correctness consigned to the rubbish bin along with multiculturalism.

Lin, London, UK

This is just a foretaste of the consequences of the failed "multi-cultural" experiment in Britain.

Alex G, Detroit, USA

What hell the Church of England is doing? Is this happening in England- the chief protector of Christian faith?- SHAME! Why the CHRITIANS ARE KEEPING QUIET? wHAT ABOUT THE CONGRGATION MEMERS? ALL HAVE NO BALLS? I am very much upset with the Arch Bishop of Caterbury. He has time to talk about the welfare of Muslims. For this type of attack he will hide himself under his frock? .It is time we the public to rise up.

Joseph Sebastian, New Market, Canada

Asians? What do the Japanese have against the church of England? I am confused.

Bob, Alexandria, VA

Outrageous, and a sad indication of the current state of the UK.

Gordon Curran, Glasgow, Scotland