Courts ‘reviving blasphemy laws’ after convicting man who burned Koran

Koran burning Hamit

by Will Bolton, Telegraph

Robert Jenrick says he has ‘no confidence in Two-Tier Keir to defend rights of the public to criticise all religions’

British courts have been accused of reviving blasphemy laws after a man who set fire to a copy of the Koran was convicted of a racially aggravated public order offence.

Hamit Coskun shouted “f— Islam” and “Islam is religion of terrorism” while holding the religious text above his head during a protest on Feb 13.

The 50-year-old, who was violently attacked by a passerby during the demonstration in London, went on trial last week, accused of an offence under the Public Order Act.

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Watch: Discussion with Julia Hartley-Brewer and Sam Armstrong, formerly from the Free Speech Union, Talk TV