IQNA

MWL Hails Conviction of London Quran Desecrator  

13:10 - June 08, 2025
News ID: 3493364
IQNA – The Muslim World League welcomed the decision by a British court to convict a man who had burned a copy of the Holy Quran in London.

In early June 2025, a court in Britain convicted a man who had burned a copy of the Holy Quran in London.

 

The ruling by the British court shows the positive steps taken by the country’s authorities to combat actions that target religions and lead to sedition, strife and conflict between communities, the MWL said in a statement. 

“From the very beginning, the Muslim World League has taken a firm stance against any act of extremism or hatred, as the world has witnessed an escalation of such actions against religious symbols in recent years.

“The recent ruling of the British court sends a clear message that civil society rejects such actions and calls for peaceful coexistence among all religions and cultures.”

The court’s ruling is of great importance in promoting understanding and respect for different religions, as it is a testament to the role of the law in protecting human values, the statement went on to say.

On Monday, Hamit Coskun was found guilty of a religiously aggravated public order offence after he burnt a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Consulate in London.

Coskun, 50, was accused of chanting Islamophobic slogans as he held up a burning copy of the Islamic holy text in Knightsbridge, west London, in February.

District Judge John McGarva ruled on Monday that the defendant’s actions were “motivated at least in part by hostility towards Muslims” and that his conduct “was not a reasonable exercise” of his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Delivering the verdict, McGarva said: “Your actions in burning the Quran 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.”

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The defendant argued that he was exercising his “right of freedom of speech” in his action, which sparked a large reaction in Britain as footage of the incident went viral on social media platforms.

However, the judge rejected the defendant’s narrative, noting that 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.”

In his verdict, Judge McGarva found the defendant’s actions on the day in question to be deliberately provocative.

 

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