A minister is taking legal action against a radio station which allegedly cancelled his show because his defence of Christianity was offensive to Muslims.

The Rev Mahboob Masih, a Pakistani-born minister who now preaches in East Kilbride, will take Glasgow station Awaz FM to an employment tribunal later this month after it cut his long-running show.

After six years' unpaid work hosting a religious talk show on the station, Mr Masih says he was the victim of discrimination when Muslim station managers sided against his minority community of Asian Christians.

The dispute arose during a show where Mr Masih and his co-presenter Asif Mall debated with prominent Muslim speaker Zakir Naik, who the pair said had patronised Christianity during a previous speaking appearance.

Asked by Mr Mall whether Jesus Christ was the only prophet to embody "the way, the truth and the life", Mr Naik apparently said he was not, and that all prophets could make this claim.

Mr Mall then accused the guest of having a "superficial knowledge" of holy texts, including the Bible and the Koran, and his comment is said to have offended followers of Islam.

Mr Masih made an on-air apology, he said, reading from a statement prepared by station manager Javed Sattar, but refused to apologise in person at Glasgow's Central Mosque because he did not feel he had anything to apologise for, and feared for his safety should he appear in person. He is now pursuing an employment tribunal on the grounds that he was the victim of discrimination.

"I thought it was completely unfair, and they were discriminating against a minority community, Asian Christians. Their attitude is so arrogant," he said. I experienced this sort of thing as a Christian in Pakistan, but didn't expect it here. This is a secular country, but I am being treated as if I had acted grossly against another community."

Lawyer Paul Diamond, a specialist in religious cases, has been instructed by Mr Masih, and the tribunal is expected to take place in Glasgow later this month.

Station managers yesterday declined to comment on the allegations.