“Burning the Koran? It’s my religion, you don’t burn the Koran”
A Muslim man who attacked another man who was burning a Koran outside the Turkish consulate in London has been spared jail.
Hamit Coskun, 51, shouted “f*** Islam”, “Islam is religion of terrorism” and “Koran is burning”, as he held a flaming Islamic text aloft during a protest in Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, west London, on February 13. Moussa Kadri then came out of a residential building and told Mr Coskun “I’m going to kill you”, before returning and slashing at him with a knife, later telling police he was protecting his religion, prosecutors said.
Judge Adam Hiddleston handed Kadri a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday. He is also required to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation. The judge said that the way Kadri lost his temper was “disgraceful”. He went on: “Use of blades is a curse on our community.” Kadri, 59, of Kensington, west London, had pleaded guilty to assault and having a bladed article in a public place.
Turkey-born Coskun, who is half Kurdish and half Armenian, travelled from his home in the Midlands and set fire to the Koran at about 2pm, prosecutors previously said Kadri approached and asked Coskun why he was burning it.
Coskun could be heard in footage making a reference to “terrorist” and Kadri called him “a f****** idiot” and said “one sec, I’m coming back” and “I’m going to kill you now”, prosecutors said.
Kadri later returned holding a knife and slashed at Coskun, the court heard.
The footage appeared to show Coskun backing away and using the burning Koran to deflect Kadri, who slashed out at him again, prosecutors said.
Kadri chased Coskun, who stumbled forward and fell to the ground, where the defendant then spat at and kicked him, the court heard. Kadri said: “Burning the Koran? It’s my religion, you don’t burn the Koran.” He later told police: “I protect my religion.”
Greg Unwin, defending, said: “This was a response to a very unusual situation that Mr Kadri has demonstrated regret and remorse for. His reaction was in the heat of the moment to what he perceived was a deeply offensive act on a holy book.”
Lord Young of Acton, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said after the sentencing: “This sends a green light to any Muslim who wants to enforce an Islamic blasphemy by taking the law into their own hands.
“The court is effectively saying that if you attack a blasphemer with a knife, he will be convicted of causing you harassment, alarm or distress and you won’t have to spend a day behind bars.”
National Secular Society chief executive Stephen Evans said: “Free expression should never be met with violence. Criticism or destruction of religious texts, however offensive to some, is a legitimate form of protest. In a free and open democratic society, people must be free to challenge ideas and beliefs without fear of attack.”
Coskun was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June of a religiously aggravated public order offence of using disorderly behaviour “within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress”, motivated by “hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam”, contrary to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and section five of the Public Order Act 1986.
An appeal was lodged with the Crown Court.
Coskun had argued that his criticism was of Islam in general rather than its followers, but District Judge John McGarva said he could not accept this, finding that Coskun’s actions were “highly provocative” and that he was “motivated at least in part by a hatred of Muslims”.
His case prompted campaigners and some politicians to say it was an attempt to bring back blasphemy law, but the Government has said there are no blasphemy laws in England nor are there any plans to introduce any.
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