Why did police name man who burned the Koran and put his life in danger?
by Frederick Attenborough, TCW:
POLICE have publicly named a man and disclosed his address after he was charged with allegedly burning pages of the Koran, despite the clear and immediate risks posed to those accused of ‘blasphemy’ by radical Islamists.
The 47-year-old has pleaded guilty to causing racially and religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, and distress after setting fire to the Islamic holy book in Manchester city centre during a live stream on social media.
At Manchester magistrates’ court, the prosecution said the act had caused distress to a bystander, Fahad Iqbal, who attempted to intervene. In a victim impact statement, Iqbal told the court: ‘I was quite shocked, disgusted and offended. I’m a Muslim. I still can’t believe someone would do this. When he began to burn the Koran, my heart was about to break out. This is the most emotion I have ever felt.’
Despite his guilty plea, Greater Manchester Police’s decision to disclose the defendant’s personal details has provoked serious concerns given the well-documented dangers faced by those accused of blasphemy. The Free Speech Union believes GMP should have liaised with the Crown Prosecution Service before making these details public. The failure to do so will almost certainly result in a direct threat to his life.
Footage posted on X shows a man standing in the Glade of Light, a memorial for victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, setting fire to pages of the Koran.
Following the arrest, Assistant Chief Constable Stephanie Parker said: ‘We understand the deep concern this will cause within some of our diverse communities and are aware of a live video circulating . . . We made a swift arrest at the time and recognise the right people have for freedom of expression, but when this crosses into intimidation to cause harm or distress, we will always look to take action when it is reported to us.’
Read also: On blasphemy and bullets by Ben Sixsmith, Artillery Row