Iraq veteran’s Muslim Facebook post goes viral

"Yes. A Muslim man blew me up, and I lost my leg."

That's how Chris Herbert began his “angry rant” on Facebook. Herbert, a former soldier from Portsmouth who served in Iraq with the Yorkshire Regiment, lost his leg in a roadside bombing in Basra. But far from spouting hatred of Islam, Herbert's post goes on to praise the Muslims who served next to him in Iraq and helped him recover from his injuries.

"A Muslim man also lost his arm that day wearing a British uniform," it continues. "A Muslim medic was in the helicopter that took me from the field. A Muslim surgeon performed the surgery that saved my life. A Muslim nurse was part of the team that helped me when I returned to the UK."

Herbert said he wrote the post after an "Islamophobic group tried to recruit me as a poster boy" and he goes on to describe several incidents where "white Brits" were rude and abusive to him, using occasionally colourful language. "Although, a lot of people helped in my recovery! I don't hate white brits either! hahaha," he says in the post.

Herbert's post has been widely praised. "One of the best things I've ever read on Facebook," said one comment. "A shame others can't see things how you do," said another. The post has been shared nearly 130, 000 times and was also shared extensively on Twitter, including by MP for Plymouth and former soldier Johnny Mercer, who told BBC Trending that Chris's comments "reflect the views of many many soldiers."