Green began the correspondence when he was studying for a degree in athletics at Wingate University in North Carolina in 2011 after reading a newspaper article about Mohammed. A devout Christian, Green wrote: “I am not here to trick you, [or] make you feel worse than anybody in the world. There is hope in forgiveness through Jesus Christ.”

Two years later, Green has now received a 27-page reply, debating the virtues of Islam over Christianity. At one point Mohammed compares the Bible’s view on murder to that of the Qur’an, quoting the latter as saying: “We decreed upon the children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption (done) in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely.”

He later adds: “We live in two different worlds; the world of Christianity and the world of Islam. That means we are not on the same page; we have … many different perceptions and convictions regarding the seen and the unseen world.”

Mohammed’s letter was written by hand and then transcribed and typed by his lawyers. Green, who is a care worker at a home for autistic adults, received the letter last week, delayed in part due to his move back to the UK.