A 50-year-old man, Hamit Coskun, who shouted “Islam is a religion of terrorism” before setting a copy of the Qur’an on fire, has been convicted of religiously aggravated public disorder in London.
Coskun carried out the act in front of the Turkish consulate on the 13th of February. While flames engulfed the holy book, he hurled offensive and provocative words targeting Muslims.
He later told the court he was staging a peaceful protest.
District Judge John McGarva disagreed. He described the act as deeply provocative and alarming. He also said Coskun’s actions were partly driven by hatred towards Muslims.
The judge ruled: “Burning a religious book, although offensive to some, is not necessarily disorderly. What made his conduct disorderly was the timing and location of the conduct and that all this was accompanied by abusive language.”
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On the 2nd of June, 2025, Westminster Magistrates’ Court fined Coskun £240 ($325).
The verdict drew criticism from some free speech advocates who accused the court of suppressing dissent. They plan to appeal.
The National Secular Society (NSS), which contributed to Coskun’s legal costs, said the case marked “a significant blow to freedom of expression,” and added that “Britain has no blasphemy laws. Yet this verdict creates one de facto.”
Earlier reports said Coskun’s protest stemmed from his anger at the Turkish government, which he claimed promotes radical Muslim ideology.