Founder of The Synagogue Church of All Nations Prophet TB Joshua has requested his followers to “pray for YouTube” after the platform blocked his channel Emmanuel TV.
YouTube blocked the channel after UK-based organisation OpenDemocracy reported, accusing it of hate speech against LGBT people.
“I want you to help me pray for YouTube,” Joshua said in his Sunday service shared on Facebook.
The channel had more than 1.8 million subscribers and 600 million views as of the time it was shut down.
In one of his YouTube videos, watched more than 1.5 million times, a woman is seen being hit violently to “cure” her of her sexuality.
“Between 2016 and January 2020, the channel posted at least seven similar clips showing the charismatic Christian televangelist engaging in violent exorcism,” OpenDemocracy wrote.
The pastor said he had appealed YouTube’s decision.
“We strongly oppose all forms of hate speech!” he wrote on Facebook. “We have had a long and fruitful relationship with YouTube and believe this decision was made in haste.”
Facebook also removed several videos on Joshua’s page, which has 5.6 million followers.
Many, including tens of thousands of his followers, have criticised the move by YouTube.
Following the suspension, Joshua opened a new YouTube page which gained 27,000 subscribers after 24 hours.
