Man fined for burning Qur’an in London wins appeal against conviction | Freedom of speech

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/10/man-fined-for-burning-quran-in-london-wins-appeal-against-conviction

by JOAO–RATAO

22 comments

  1. And yet I can say that I don’t support Palestine action but not the other thing.

    Edit; downvoter doesn’t understand why they’re upset.

  2. Controversial but correct in my view. Is this related to the knife attack by the bystander?

  4. “A man who was fined for setting fire to a Qur’an outside the Turkish consulate in London has won an appeal against his conviction after a judge backed his “right to offend”.

    The very act of speaking risks offence, we shouldn’t stop free speech just because it may offend one group’s particular sensitivities. To do so would be conforming to their subjective belief systems but not reality. This was the right decision.

  7. Pleased that a judge in this country has finally taken a stand against the privileged and protected status that Islam has in the UK. It should NEVER be a criminal offence to hurt someone’s feelings. No matter what tier they occupy on the postmodernist victimhood hierarchy. Not being white should be no grounds for the law to be coddling grown adults like toddlers in a nursery school.

  10. Good – Islam is a religion, and religions are ideologies, and ideologies should ALWAYS be open to criticism no matter how offended a minority (Muslims) may feel about it

  11. I want the person in CPS and the police involved put up on an investigation for this. It’s despicable.

    I don’t feel the need to burn that awful book but it’s now getting to the point we need mass burnings just to assert we can if we want.

    It’s a fictional book. It’s made up. And a man was charged by assholes for burning it.

  12. Good. This should be treated as seriously as a Star Trek fan burning a Star Wars book.

    Back in the day I could rely on a left rooted in Marxist-Leninist thinking pushing for a secular state. Now I fear the left will condemn him because like the right they are courting the religious vote, a religious vote that has more in common with the right when it comes to things like women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.

  13. Good. Man burns own possession. Shouldn’t be controversial.

  14. *”the right to freedom of expression “must include the right to express views that offend, shock or disturb”.”*

    Maybe we should tell the police this so they stop wasting so much time arresting people for mean facebook posts?

    There’s been a good few people in the last month I’ve seen that have had police knocking on their door / arresting them for posting that “fuck Hamas, fuck Islam” image.

  15. I don’t think any books should be able to be burnt in public as a political act. Even the worst of the worst books or the holiest of the holy.

    A lot of these so called free speech tests are just to target one faith people have gripes with

  16. The UK is so great. We have freedom of speech.

    This enables the freedom of religion. So we have many religions in this country.

    But, if you are free to practice your religion here. Other people are free to also criticize it.

    Freedom of speech is beautiful so let’s not try remove it because “racists man burns book” even though the book tells people to murder others not following their faith.

  17. Free speech and thought on full display right there.

    That said, certain sectors of this r/ (the flag shaggers) are gonna lose their shit if/when that first Union Jack/St George gets torn down and/or burnt.

    “Yeah, but, erm, it’s our flag…”

  20. “Hamit Coskun, was raised in Turkey. In 2022 he sought asylum in the UK and has subsequently applied for refugee status. ”

    Interesting, so will the far right be looking to kick him out too?

  21. The guy who was waiving the knife around needs to be deported immediately if they aren’t going to imprison him. One of the more ridiculous decisions as of recent

  22. Not against this decision tbh. Regardless of religion even if it is deeply upsetting (and that’s fine), it shouldn’t be illegal just because it’s perhaps offensive

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