An ousted priest has been accused of stirring up racial hatred by preaching that Islam is a terrorist religion.

Father Zakaria Botros Henein has started hosting five-times-weekly internet broadcasts in which he claims the Koran encourages acts of violence.

Until recently, Father Zakaria, of Davigdor Road, Hove, was priest of the St Mary and St Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church in the same road.

After he was persuaded to retire, his supporters barricaded themselves into the church for nine days to demand his reinstatement.

The protesters have now promised to keep an uneasy peace at the church, after a decree from Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.

However Father Zakaria's critics are unhappy he has been allowed to keep his church-owned home and his pension.

Since leaving the post he held for ten years, he has been dedicating himself to leading discussions at www.paltalk.net He said the discussions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights were devoted to "exposing" Islamic doctrines, while Sundays and Mondays were for Bible study.

Father Zakaria said: "There are about 35,000 examples in the Koran which talk about terrorism, killing and destroying people.

"The doctrines of Islam are to conquer and destroy people so Islam can prevail.

"I am not against Muslims. We love them as people. I am talking about Islamic doctrines which too many people follow without thinking about properly.

"I have been a priest for 45 years and ministered in Egypt, Australia and the UK. I now feel it is my ministry to expose Islam in this way."

He said he had been allowed to keep his home and pension in recognition of his years of service to the church.

However, a member of the Coptic Church in Hove, who did not want be named, said: "Father Zakaria is no longer wanted in the church as he is causing religious hatred.

"He is openly attacking Islam and the Prophet Mohammed on the internet, thus inciting racial hatred between the Coptic community and our Muslim brothers in Brighton and Hove.

"Most of the Copts in Brighton know the dangers he is creating and they don't want him to stay in his present house."

Father Zakaria's opponents were surprised by the scale of protests which followed his departure in January.

A new church council has since been set up and a new priest, Father Manasa, has been sent from Sudan to replace Father Zakaria.

Antonyus Philips, one of the leading protesters, said: "We are not going to cause any more problems. We just hope politics will be kept out of the church, which is a spiritual place."