A Scottish events venue which cancelled a booking made by US evangelist Franklin Graham has ignored the lawsuit filed against it. Last week, a Glasgow court informed Scottish Event Campus Limited that it must give account for why it terminated the pre-agreed contract. Despite being given a week to do so, the company has reportedly taken no notice of the court-ordered deadline.
In response, BGEA said: “We have received a report that Scottish Event Campus Limited and Glasgow City Council intend to resist the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s request for judicial relief, and have been advised that they will have another seven days to file a substantive answer. We will continue trying to work toward a resolution that will allow the Graham Tour UK to be held at The SSE Hydro as planned."
BGEA revealed that it has lodged a series of further complaints after Rev Graham's tour was left in tatters following the mass cancellations.
It said: "In addition to the legal proceedings in Glasgow, BGEA has now filed claims against parties in Sheffield and Wales that it believes were responsible for cancelling its legally binding contracts. The case in Sheffield involves FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield City Council and Sheffield City Trust. The case in Wales involves ICC Wales and the Welsh government.
"The case in Sheffield involves FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield City Council and Sheffield City Trust. The case in Wales involves ICC Wales and the Welsh government.
"BGEA’s position remains that in nearly 70 years of public evangelistic outreach ministry, there is no evidence whatsoever that any BGEA event involving Franklin Graham has ever caused a danger to public safety or incited public disorder. The actions taken by these venues and those responsible for them to publicly repudiate these contracts are clear efforts to distance the decision-makers from BGEA, Franklin Graham and other Christians who hold similar beliefs.
"There is no question that this was done under pressure from those with opposing views who have demonstrated a relatively predictable pattern of harassment and bullying of those doing business with BGEA. This disregard for principles of good faith and fair dealing, based on the mere suggestion that a person’s sincerely held religious views or statements are “hateful” or would result in public disorder, should be very alarming to anyone who is genuinely concerned about diversity, inclusion and tolerance, let alone free speech and the free exercise of religious beliefs.”
All eight venues due to host Franklin Graham's upcoming gospel tour cancelled his bookings following pressure from the LGBT community and those who accuse him of being Islamophobic.
