Free speech campaigners have warned extremist Muslims have been “given the green light to take the law into their own hands” after a knife-wielding attacker who threatened to kill a protester burning the Koran was spared prison, sparking accusations of “two-tier justice” in Britain.
Moussa Kadri, 59, walked free from Southwark Crown Court yesterday despite slashing at activist Hamit Coskun with a bread knife, kicking him whilst he lay on the ground, and spitting on him after the protester burned an Islamic text outside the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge.
The extraordinary case has ignited a political firestorm, with Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick declaring Britain now has “a blasphemy law in this country” and warning the lenient sentence sends a dangerous signal to religious extremists willing to enforce their beliefs through violence.
Judge Adam Hiddleston handed Kadri merely a 20-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months, meaning he will serve no time behind bars unless he reoffends. The judge acknowledged the case “clearly crosses the custody threshold” but cited Kadri’s “previously exemplary character” and charity work in sparing him immediate imprisonment.
‘I’m Going to Kill You’ Threat Before Knife Attack
The violent confrontation erupted on 13 February when Turkey-born Coskun, 51, who is half Kurdish and half Armenian, travelled from his Midlands home to protest outside the Turkish consulate. He shouted “f*** Islam”, “Islam is religion of terrorism” and “Koran is burning” whilst holding the flaming text aloft.
Kadri emerged from a nearby residential building and confronted the protester, calling him “a f****** idiot” before declaring “one sec, I’m coming back” and threatening “I’m going to kill you now.” He returned wielding a bread knife and launched a frenzied assault on Coskun, who attempted to use the burning Koran to deflect the blade.
Prosecutor Oliver Mosley told the court: “There were several slashes with the blade towards the complainant. There were several kicks, and at least one was seen making contact. There were also two spits. A van driver got involved, and called Mr Kadri a bully. A passing cyclist also gets involved.”
As Coskun lay on the ground after stumbling whilst fleeing, Kadri continued his assault, kicking and spitting on him whilst shouting: “Burning the Koran? It’s my religion, you don’t burn the Koran.” He later told police: “I wanted to protect my religion.
Protester Convicted Whilst Attacker Walks Free
In a twist that has outraged free speech advocates, Coskun himself was convicted in June of a religiously aggravated public order offence for his protest. Westminster Magistrates’ Court found him guilty of using disorderly conduct “within the hearing or sight of a person likely to have caused harassment, alarm or distress”, motivated by “hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam.”
District Judge John McGarva ruled that Coskun’s actions were “highly provocative” and that he was “motivated at least in part by a hatred of Muslims,” rejecting the protester’s argument that his criticism was of Islam in general rather than its followers.
The Crown Prosecution Service had initially charged Coskun with causing harassment to “the religious institution of Islam” – a charge critics said was effectively blasphemy by another name. Though this was later amended following fierce campaigning by the Free Speech Union and National Secular Society, Coskun was still convicted and fined £336.
‘Green Light for Religious Vigilantes’
General Secretary of the Free Speech Union Toby Young condemned yesterday’s suspended sentence, warning: “This sends a green light to any Muslim who wants to enforce an Islamic blasphemy by taking the law into their own hands. The court is effectively saying that if you attack a blasphemer with a knife, he will be convicted of causing you harassment, alarm or distress and you won’t have to spend a day behind bars.”
National Secular Society chief executive Stephen Evans echoed these concerns: “Free expression should never be met with violence. Criticism or destruction of religious texts, however offensive to some, is a legitimate form of protest. In a free and open democratic society, people must be free to challenge ideas and beliefs without fear of attack.”
The disparity in treatment has drawn sharp criticism from Conservative politicians. Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho highlighted the apparent double standard: “Slashing at someone with a knife because they offended your religion by burning the Quran. No jail time. Posting nasty words on Twitter. Jail time.”
Jenrick: ‘We Now Have Blasphemy Laws’
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has written to the Director of Public Prosecutions demanding an explanation for why tougher charges were not brought against Kadri. Sharing footage of the knife attack, he wrote: “This Islamist has dodged prison despite attacking a man with a knife for burning a Quran. I challenge anyone to watch the video and tell me he shouldn’t be locked up.”
Jenrick has been particularly vocal about what he sees as the return of blasphemy laws seventeen years after Parliament abolished them. “Parliament never voted for it. The country doesn’t want it,” he stated, pledging to support a Bill introduced by Conservative MP Nick Timothy to prevent prosecutors and judges from reviving blasphemy laws “in any guise.
In June, following Coskun’s conviction, Jenrick warned: “Sir Keir Starmer once defended a woman who trampled on the American flag. Yet, today, faced with a man fined for burning a Koran, he melts into apparent silence. So it’s free speech for flag-burners, but criminal records for Koran-burners? The double standard could not be starker: this is two-tier justice, made to measure for Two-Tier Keir’s Britain.”
Judge’s ‘Disgraceful’ Comments
During sentencing, Judge Hiddleston acknowledged that Kadri’s behaviour was “disgraceful” and stated that “use of blades is a curse on our community.” However, he accepted Kadri’s “remorse” and concluded there was “an almost non-existent chance of repetition of this behaviour.”
The judge also revealed that Kadri had attempted to mislead investigators by claiming he attacked Coskun with a palette knife rather than the more dangerous bread knife actually used in the assault.
Defence barrister Greg Unwin argued that Kadri’s attack was “a response to a very unusual situation” and that “his reaction was in the heat of the moment to what he perceived was a deeply offensive act on a holy book.”
Comparisons to Other Sentences Fuel Outrage
Critics have drawn comparisons to other recent cases to highlight what they see as a two-tier justice system. Lucy Connolly received a 31-month prison sentence for a deleted tweet about setting fire to hotels “for all I care”, whilst Nathan Poole was jailed for 30 months after shouting “Who the f**k is Allah?” during an anti-immigration protest outside a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent.
The Spectator magazine noted: “We have a legal system in which a deleted tweet about setting fire to hotels ‘for all I care’ results in a 31 month sentence, while a Muslim who seeks to enforce a blasphemy code by threatening to kill someone and then attacking them with a knife spends not a single day behind bars.”
Appeal Planned as Battle Lines Drawn
Coskun, who fled Turkey to escape persecution, is appealing his conviction with support from the Free Speech Union and National Secular Society. His appeal will be heard on 8 October at Southwark Crown Court before Mr Justice Joel Bennathan, a High Court judge who has previously argued in favour of free speech.
Following his conviction, Coskun stated: “This was an assault on free speech that will deter others from exercising their democratic right to protest. As an activist, I will continue to campaign against the threat of Islam. Christian blasphemy laws were repealed in this country more than 15 years ago, and it cannot be right to prosecute someone for blaspheming against Islam.”
The case has become a flashpoint in broader debates about freedom of expression, religious sensitivity, and whether Britain’s justice system applies different standards based on religious or cultural considerations. With MPs warning of “backdoor blasphemy laws” and free speech advocates alleging a dangerous precedent has been set, the controversy shows no signs of abating.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
