Screenshot, X @RealCandaceO / Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

Candace Owens, the conservative pundit who remains in the spotlight nearly one month after her exit from the Daily Wire amid a slew of controversies related to allegations of antisemitism, has drawn attention to an incident in which British authorities conducted a mental health call on a man for saying that Christians should “stand up” for their faith after an attack on an East Syriac bishop.

In contrast to the mainstream preference for Christians to “sit down” in the face of persecution, the man, who purports to be an Orthodox Christian, took to social media to call on Christians to defend their faith after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, affiliated with an independent branch of Syriac Christianity, was stabbed while celebrating the Divine Liturgy.

“Two police officers and a mental health professional showed up at this man’s house in the UK after he posted ‘Christians need to stand up’ following the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel,” Owens wrote on X. “In before the media tries to explain how Christians standing up might be antisemitic.”

Attached to Owens post is a video, filmed by the man being visited, which appears to show him facing questions from two officers of the law and a mental health professional, who purport that they are there in response to “concerns” over the offending post calling for Christians to resist assaults on their religious leaders.

“This is religious discrimination right now, you know, ’cause you wouldn’t be knockin’ on Muslims doors if they had this conversation,” the man soberly notes in this interaction with the police and mental health professional.

Owens’ remarks are made amid a number of controversies which have seen Owens herself accused of prejudice against the Jewish people. Perhaps most emblematic is the culture war over the phrase “Christ is King,” a basic expression of Christian piety which critics claim is a thinly veiled attack on the Jewish people, despite the fact that the Jews in general are not explicitly mentioned in the phrase.

The initial catalyst for this incident occurred when Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was attacked and stabbed during a church service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.

The service was being livestreamed when a 16-year-old boy, previously misidentified as 15, allegedly charged at the bishop with a knife. Immediate intervention by several parishioners likely prevented further harm.

New South Wales Police quickly responded, restraining and arresting the suspect at the scene. The boy was later hospitalized for injuries sustained during the apprehension. This stabbing incident, characterized by police as a “terrorist act,” is considered premeditated with elements of religiously motivated extremism.

In the chaos following the attack, the local community exhibited both concern and outrage, leading to a riot at the church.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb described the subsequent mob action as “uncontrolled,” with people throwing objects at police cars and assaulting police officers, according to CNN. The scene escalated quickly, resulting in significant police equipment damage and forcing emergency responders to retreat inside the church for safety.