THE TELEGRAPH: Christian hoteliers Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang received hate mail after they were accused of insulting a Muslim guest because of her faith.
The couple said they have been "living a nightmare" since they were charged in July with a "religiously-aggravated" offence of causing harassment, alarm or distress.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the couple have told of their relief at being cleared of insulting Ericka Tazi, a Muslim woman who was staying at their hotel.
They said that they had suffered emotionally and financially since the prosecution began, received threats warning they would be attacked and nearly lost their business due to an 80 per cent decline in takings at their nine-bedroom hotel, the Bounty House in Aintree, Liverpool.
"The last nine months have been a nightmare for us," said Mr Vogelenzang.
"We've been drained emotionally and financially. We have, sadly, received some threats and hate mail. That has been upsetting.
"Our business has almost been destroyed."
Mrs Tazi, who converted to Islam 18 months ago, stayed at the couple's hotel in March. She claimed they asked her if she was a murderer and a terrorist after seeing her wearing a hijab. She also alleged that Mr Vogelenzang called the Prophet Muhammad a murderer and a warlord and likened him to Saddam Hussein and Hitler.
The hotel had been reliant for much of its business on a local hospital, which routinely referred outpatients to stay, but hospital chiefs put a stop to this once they heard about the court case. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, December 12, 2009
MAIL ONLINE: 'Our faith is being targeted .... and we've been thrown to the lions': the Christian hoteliers accused of insulting Muslim guest reveal >>> Jonathan Petre and Andrew Chapman | Saturday, December 12, 2009
