English blasphemy laws were officially abolished almost two decades ago. But free speech campaigners warn that they have returned in all but name after a man who set fire to a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London was convicted on Monday of a racially aggravated public order offence.
Hamit Coskun—a Turkish political refugee—shouted “f**k Islam” and “Islam is religion of terrorism” as he held the burning book aloft in February and, after being found guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court of the offence, was fined £240 (€285) with a statutory surcharge of £96 (€114).
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