Man found guilty for burning Koran while shouting ‘f*** Islam’ wins appeal | UK | News

Hamit Coşkun, who was found guilty of a religiously aggravated public order offense after burning the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London, won his appeal against conviction at Southwark Crown Court.

He was convicted in early June of a religiously aggravated public order offense for shouting “fuck Islam”, “Islam is the religion of terrorism” and “the Quran is on fire” while holding aloft a burning religious text outside the Turkish consulate earlier this year. His case led free speech campaigners and some politicians to claim that the outcome was an attempt to bring back blasphemy legislation.

His Honor Judge Bennathan told Southwark Crown Court: “There is no offense of blasphemy in our law. Burning a Quran can be an act that many Muslims find deeply distressing and offensive.”

“But criminal law is not a mechanism aimed at preventing people from being upset, or even seriously upset. The right to freedom of expression, if it is a right worth having, must include the right to express offensive, shocking or disturbing views.”

Referring to Mr Coşkun’s behavior outside the Turkish consulate earlier this year, Mr Justice Bennathan told Southwark Crown Court: “This was clearly political speech or behaviour.

“Insulting behavior is not enough, and we must be careful not to read the words we think.”

Mr Justice Bennathan also stated that Mr Coşkun’s actions were not directed at a specific person or persons.

“We live in a liberal democracy,” the judge continued.

“One of the most valuable rights granted to us is to express our own views and to read, hear and evaluate ideas without state intervention.

“The price we pay for this is having to allow others to exercise the same rights, even if it upsets, offends or shocks us.”

“Criminal courts will intervene to protect people. Anyone who acts in a way that harasses, alarms or distresses another may commit a crime.”

The Freedom of Expression Union said the decision sent the message that “anti-religious protests should be tolerated, even if they are offensive to true believers.”

Lord Toby Young of Acton, director of the union funding Mr Coskun’s legal case, said: “We are delighted.

“If the decision had been allowed to stand, it would have sent the message to fundamentalists all over the country that all they had to do to enforce their blasphemy laws was to violently attack the infidel, thus making him guilty of disturbing public order.

“Instead, the Royal Court sent the opposite message – that anti-religious protests should be tolerated, no matter how offensive they may be to true believers.”

Hamit Coşkun said he came to the UK so he could “speak freely about the dangers of radical Islam” and that he was now “reassured that he is free to educate the British public about my beliefs”.

In his statement after the decision, he said: “I would like to thank the Freedom of Expression Union, the National Secular Society, all my lawyers, the MPs and judges who supported me for today’s decision.

“After being persecuted in Türkiye, I came to the UK so I could speak freely about the dangers of radical Islam. Despite many troubling developments, I have been reassured that I will now be free to educate the British public about my beliefs.”

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