A British court has been accused of single-handedly reviving blasphemy laws in Britain after a man who burnt the Koran while shouting “f*** Islam” was found guilty. Hamit Coskun, an asylum seeker from Turkey, was filmed burning the book while shouting “Islam is religion of terrorism” outside the Turkish Consulate in February.
He was violently attacked by a passerby during the protest. Coskun was found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday. He was said to have been motivated “in part by hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam”. District Judge John McGarva insisted the prosecution was not “an attempt to bring back and expand blasphemy law.”
He said: “A decision needs to be made as to whether your conduct was simply you exercising your right to protest and freedom of speech or whether your behaviour crossed a line into criminal conduct.”
The court ignored the warnings of Coskun’s barrister, who argued that the charges against her client amounted to blasphemy laws.
Judge McGarva said: “You believe Islam is an ideology which encourages its followers to violent paedophilia and a disregard for the rights of non-believers.
“You don’t distinguish between the two. I find you have a deep-seated hatred of Islam and its followers. That is based on your experiences in Turkey and the experiences of your family.”
He ordered the protester, who is now in hiding, to pay a fine of £240.
However the decision has sparked immediate outrage from senior politicians, including the Tories’ shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick who condemned the move as a return to blasphemy laws of old.
Reacting the the court’s decision, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This decision is wrong. It revives a blasphemy law that Parliament repealed.”
Referring to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, he added: “Free speech is under threat. I have no confidence in Two-Tier Keir to defend the right of the public to criticise all religions.”
He was echoed by fellow Conservative MP and No 10 chief of staff Nick Timothy, who said the ruling means “we now have a blasphemy law in this country”.
The former Home Office special adviser added: “Parliament never voted for it. The country doesn’t want it. I will introduce a Bill to put a stop to all this next week.
“Will the Government let it through or block it?”
Independent MP Rupert Lowe currently has an Early Day Motion demanding the resisting of blasphemy laws and the right to reject, mock or criticise religious ideas.
So far, just four MPs have signed it.