Man Convicted for Quran Burning Outside Turkish Consulate in London
- Victor Nwoko
- Jun 2
- 2 min read
A 50-year-old man has been convicted of a religiously aggravated public order offense after burning a copy of the Quran and shouting anti-Islamic slogans outside the Turkish consulate in London. The incident, which took place on February 13, led to a £240 ($325) fine issued by the court on Monday.
Hamit Coskun, originally from Turkey, was found guilty after he set a Quran alight and shouted “F*** Islam” and “Islam is a religion of terrorism” while holding the burning book aloft. He argued in court that his protest was peaceful and intended as a political statement against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he accused of turning Turkey into a hub for radical Islamists.
District Judge John McGarva ruled that Coskun’s actions were “provocative and taunting,” stating they were likely to cause “harassment, alarm or distress.” The judge emphasized that while burning a religious book can be offensive, it becomes disorderly when combined with abusive language and chosen time and place. “What made his conduct disorderly was the timing and location of the conduct and that all this was accompanied by abusive language,” McGarva said, adding that the behavior was motivated “at least in part by a hatred of Muslims.”
Free speech advocacy groups, including the National Secular Society and the Free Speech Union, which covered Coskun’s legal fees, expressed concern that the ruling undermines freedom of expression. Both groups plan to appeal the conviction and indicated they are prepared to escalate the matter to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
In a statement released through the Free Speech Union, Coskun criticized the court’s decision, saying, “It cannot be right to prosecute someone for blaspheming against Islam. This decision is an assault on free speech and will deter others from exercising their democratic rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression. As an activist, I will continue to campaign against the threat of Islam.”
Political reactions followed swiftly. Conservative Party figure Robert Jenrick stated on X that the ruling “revives a blasphemy law” that Parliament had abolished in 2008 after pressure from secularist groups. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer clarified that the UK does not have any blasphemy laws and that there are no plans to introduce them.
The case has reignited national debate over the limits of free speech, religious tolerance, and public protest in a multicultural society.
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