A FORMER GB News host has started an online fundraiser in an attempt to buy a Scottish Island and turn it into a religious retreat.
Disgraced presenter and political commentator Calvin Robinson has started a GoFundMe to buy the Torsa island, also known as Thor's island, which is located in Argyll and Bute.
In the description for the online fundraiser the outspoken Catholic cleric said the potential purchase of the island is an “opportunity to reclaim the land for Christendom”.
The island is listed by the estate agent Savills for £1.5 million and is part of the Slate Islands which consists of Seil, Easdale, Luing, Shuna, Belnahua and Torsa.
Robinson’s GoFundMe has only raised £58,000 so far and said money is helpful but “prayer is necessary”.
The conservative preacher plans to build a Christian centre with a chapel on the 271-acre island, which already has a three-bedroom house.
He said he would also plan on putting “the Celtic Cross back in its rightful place”.
“Torsa will become a place to spend time with Him [God] and remind ourselves we are called to be in the world but not of the world,” he added.
In the page comments he also describes his plans to grow local produce on the island and to produce alcoholic beverages “for Britons, as in times gone by.”
The news follows the reports that London-based preacher Sheikh Yasser al-Habib and his followers were in talks with the estate agents for the sale of the island last week.
Al-Habib is the founder and leader of the Mahdi Servants Union (MSU), which runs Fadak Shia Islam TV channel and military-style training camps from a private compound in the village of Fulmer, South Buckinghamshire.
The MSU has previously attacked multiple foreign embassies on religious grounds.
Al-Habib was granted asylum in the UK two decades ago after facing imprisonment in his home country Kuwait for his religious views.
The Muslim group were aiming to raise a total of £3.5m to buy the island as their leader posted on social media calling on supporters to “hurry to complete the amount” as signing a contract was “just around the corner”.
However, a spokesperson for Savills confirmed there are ongoing viewings of the island and that the decision on who ultimately purchases Torsa will be down to the current owner.
They said: “The island remains for sale and continues to attract widespread attention.
“Viewings are ongoing with buyers who, like the current owner, are captivated by its scenic beauty, wildlife and the opportunity to sail in tranquil waters.
“Who ultimately buys will be a decision for the owners who have always said they hope to find the right buyer who will continue to enjoy this haven as their family have done for generations.”
Robinson, who is a cleric in a small Nordic Catholic Church based in Harlesden, northwest London, has been vocal on his views on Islam as he has called upon people to “reject” the religion.
He was sacked from GB News after voicing support for fellow former employee Laurence Fox who had been dropped from the network for making sexist remarks about the female journalist Ava Evans.
