Hawzah News Agency (Gloucester, UK) - Controversial artworks on display at Gloucester Cathedral in an exhibition celebrating a spectrum of religious beliefs have been stolen and vandalized.

The art show, Faith, put together by portrait artist Russell Haines, was at the center of an international row last month when Christian groups heavily criticized the use of Islamic images and the reciting of a Muslim prayer inside the historic cathedral buildings.

Now several of Haines’s 37 expressionist paintings, together with the light projectors and sound systems used in the show, have been taken, according to the artist, who has spoken to the Observer about the unwelcome strength of reaction to his work.

"The point of this project was to show and to emphasize what we all have in common, precisely not to tell people what they ought to think,” said Haines. “I never thought this would happen, although I knew some people would not like it."

Anonymous online accusations of blasphemy have been followed by death threats to Haines and members of the clergy involved with the show. The religious controversy is the second this year to focus on the reciting of a Muslim prayer, after one of the Queen’s chaplains criticized Glasgow’s St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral for marking the epiphany with a reading from the Quran.

Both Haines and organisers at the 11th-century Gloucester Cathedral, the resting place of Edward II, intended the Faith art show to highlight Gloucester’s identity as a contented multicultural community. “The cathedral agreed to put it on because I wanted to celebrate this city," said Haines.

"I have no proof,” said Haines. “But it is strange that of the four films we made, the ones that were taken were the two with a lot of Islamic content. I can’t prove it, but I know there are a lot of people who don’t like it. It is pure Islamophobia and racism at work. I have had threats, but most have been against the local vicar who helped me, Ruth Fitter. She has had some dreadful things sent to her."

At the exhibition’s launch, traditional dishes from around the world were served to more than 1,000 visitors.

The Very Rev Stephen Lake, dean of Gloucester, said the show gives a glimpse into the individual stories of people of faith. "We are proud to be holding the exhibition and would encourage everyone to visit to learn more about people of different faiths," he said.