A man who burned a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish consulate in London has been found guilty of a religiously aggravated public order offence, in a verdict that critics say effectively reintroduces a form of blasphemy law.
Hamit Coskun, 50, was fined £240 ($325) at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court after being convicted of disorderly conduct for shouting “Fuck Islam” while holding up the burning book near the consulate in central London in February.
Coskun, whose father was Kurdish and his mother Armenian, and who resides in central England, argued through his lawyer that the prosecution was an attempt to reinstate blasphemy laws, which were abolished in England in 2008.
Coskun denied the charge, stating on social media that he was protesting against the Turkish government. While holding the book aloft, he was attacked by a man with a knife who kicked and spat at him.
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“Burning a religious book, although offensive to some, is not necessarily disorderly,” said Judge John McGarva.
“What made his conduct disorderly was the timing and location of the conduct and that all this was accompanied by abusive language. There was no need for him to use the ‘F word’ and direct it towards Islam.”
The National Secular Society (NSS), which assisted with his legal fees, called the prosecution “a significant blow to freedom of expression,” a view shared by the main opposition Conservative Party.
“Britain has no blasphemy laws. Yet this verdict creates one de facto,” the party posted on X. “Parliament never voted for it. The British people do not want it. This decision is wrong.”
