Hamit Coskun has been found guilty of a ‘religiously-motivated public order offence’, after he burnt a Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in London. This is Britain’s first formal capitulation to Islamic blasphemy laws. Not only does it suggest that Islam deserves special protection against sacrilege, and shielding from the freedom to offend, but it also rewards the radical Muslims for exercising violence against expressions of irreverence.
In accordance with the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Public Order Act 1986, Coskun was found guilty of 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.
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