Read This Wounded British Soldier's Stirring Post Against Islamophobia

A heartfelt message about the dangers of Islamophobia has been posted online by a British Army soldier who lost his leg while serving his country in Iraq.

Chris Herbert suffered his injury when an improvised explosive device went off next to his Land Rover in Basra in 2007 - an attack that killed his friend and comrade, Private Luke Simpson.

Herbert was just 19 at the time of the attack and found his life irrevocably altered, but the incident did not engender hate in him against the religion of those who injured him.

In 2015, the soldier posted: "Getting frustrated by some people expecting racism from me, because I got blown up."

"Here it is: Yes. A Muslim man blew me up, and I lost my leg. A Muslim man also lost his arm that day wearing a British Army Uniform."

PA

"A Muslim medic was in the helicopter that took me from the field. A Muslim surgeon performed the surgery that saved my life. A Muslim Nurse was part of the team that helped me when I returned to the UK."

"A Muslim Healthcare Assistant was part of the team that sorted out my day to day needs in rehabilitation when I was learning to walk."

"A Muslim taxi driver gave me a free ride the first time I went for a beer with my Dad after I came home. A Muslim doctor offered my Dad comfort and advice in a pub, when he didn't know how to deal with my medicines and side effects."

He continued: "If you want to hate an entire race of men and women for the actions of a few d***heads feel free, but don't push your views on me, thinking I am an easy target because one dickhead decided it was my day to die."

PA

"Blaming all Muslims for the actions of groups like Daeshe and the Taliban, is like blaming all Christians for the actions of the KKK or Westboro Baptist Church."

Chris Herbert concluded with: "Get a grip of your lives, hug your family and get back to work."

The post has gone viral and has been shared 125,000 times since Herbert posted it.

Celebrities such as JK Rowling shared it further, writing simply "Read this. Read this. Read this." on Twitter.

Topics: iraq, army, Community

Mike Wood

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]