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A man has been found guilty of a religiously aggravated public order offense after burning a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Consulate in London, in a case that has reignited debate over the boundaries of free speech and the distinction between protest and hate speech.
Hamit Coskun, 50, was accused of chanting Islamophobic slogans while setting fire to the Islamic holy book in Knightsbridge, west London, in February.
District Judge John McGarva ruled Monday that Coskun’s actions were “motivated at least in part by hostility towards Muslims” and that his conduct “was not a reasonable exercise” of rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights..
"Your actions in burning the Koran where you did were highly provocative, and your actions were accompanied by abusive language in some cases directed toward the religion and were motivated at least in part by hatred of followers of the religion," McGarva said in delivering the verdict.
Coskun had argued that his act was an expression of his “right of freedom of speech.” The incident drew widespread backlash across Britain after footage of the demonstration went viral on social media.
The judge rejected Coskun’s defense, stating he “clearly holds a deep-seated hatred of Islam and its followers. His attempt to distinguish between the religion and its adherents was not sustainable.”
According to the court, Coskun deliberately staged the act to provoke outrage. Standing outside the Turkish Embassy, he held up a Quran, set it on fire, and repeatedly shouted, “The Quran is burning,” while using what the judge described as “abusive language,” including expletives aimed at Islam.
The act sparked significant unrest, including two assaults against Coskun — which the court said were unjustified — illustrating the level of “serious public disorder” triggered by his actions.
“The timing, place and the conduct you chose. You knew Muslims would be present, and you were aware that his conduct was likely to be provocative,” the judge said.
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