Latest news with #blasphemy
Al Bawaba
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Outrage in Turkey after women in imam robes twerk inside mosque
ALBAWABA - A social media video that showed two young ladies entering a mosque while wearing imam robes and doing twerks within the hallowed building has caused a great deal of indignation in Turkey. The video, which was purportedly taken at a Bolu mosque, went viral very fast and has since provoked an outcry from the public. Also Read Outrage in Palestine over snack ad mocking 'last supper' Although the video's source is still unknown, many have taken offense at the images, especially because of the symbolic clothing and the environment. One of the video's captions, "Trying to find the right path with my bestie," describes the ladies' suggestive gestures and movements. This was seen by many as a willful disregard for religion symbols and institutions. Social media users were incensed and blasted the video as blasphemous. "How dare they?" and requests for responsibility, such as "Find them immediately," were among the comments. The actions were denounced by some as both unethical and a purposeful provocation meant to incite controversy. Social critics and religious leaders have demanded that the event be looked into and that authorities find and speak with those responsible. In Turkey, where conflicts often erupt over matters pertaining to secularism and religious values, the controversy has rekindled discussions about the limits of freedom of speech and respect for places of worship. Although the Bolu municipal authorities have not yet made an official declaration about possible legal action, public pressure is growing for prompt accountability.
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Man who burned Koran and shouted 'f*** Islam' faces imminent terrorist plot to murder him, police warn
An asylum seeker who set fire to the Koran while shouting anti-Islamic slurs has been warned by police that he is the target of an 'imminent' terror plot to murder him, it emerged today. Hamit Coskun, 50, was woken by officers at 2am on Saturday and told his life was in danger, according to his lawyers. The officers, acting on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, are understood to have issued what is known as an Osman warning – a formal alert given when there is intelligence of a real threat to life but not enough evidence to make an arrest. Coskun, who is originally from Turkey and is now in hiding in the UK, was convicted last week for a racially aggravated public order offence after he burned a copy of the Islamic holy book during a protest in Knightsbridge on February 13. During the incident – which was filmed and went viral online – he shouted: 'F*** Islam' and 'Islam is religion of terrorism' as he held the Koran above his head and set it alight. The shocking act has sparked furious debate over freedom of speech, religious tolerance – and whether Britain is bringing back blasphemy laws through the back door. Coskun's supporters say the decision to prosecute him has now made him a target, and accuse the authorities of putting his life at risk. Speaking to the Mail this week Mr Coskun said: 'My social media accounts and phonebook are full of death threats from [people based in] cities like London and Birmingham. 'Like everyone else, I am afraid of being killed [and] I am very worried because I know that I may face security risks. This is the reality of the 'religion' we call Islam. 'It does not respect different beliefs and cultures, it does not recognize the right to life. But I am not a coward. I am ready to pay the price.' Social media posts sent to Mr Coskun and seen by the Mail include one that states: 'You should sacrifice yourself to Koran. You will die'. Another says: 'Hail to the courageous man who will make your corpse lie down on the ground.' In a blistering letter to Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, Lord Young of Norwood Green, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: 'We consider that the risk to Mr Coskun's life was caused, in part, by the actions of your officers and the CPS. 'Your force had repeatedly suggested publicly that Mr Coskun had offended the 'religious institution of Islam'. Doing so has increased the risk to Mr Coskun from Islamic extremists.' Coskun, an atheist, says he fled Turkey two and a half years ago to escape persecution. He was living in Derby before going into hiding. After the conviction, Coskun issued a defiant statement, branding the decision an 'assault on free speech'. He said: '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. 'Would I have been prosecuted if I'd set fire to a copy of the Bible outside Westminster Abbey? I doubt it.' He also pledged to continue burning Korans and is planning a controversial UK tour, with stops in Birmingham, Liverpool, and Glasgow, where he intends to repeat the act. It is not clear whether this will go ahead before any potential appeal. A Met Police spokesperson confirmed: 'There remains an ongoing police investigation in relation to allegations of threats to kill against a 50-year-old male. Given the investigation is ongoing, we won't be able to comment further at this stage.' Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, wrote on social media: 'De facto blasphemy laws will set this country on the road to ruin. This case should go to appeal. 'Freedom of belief and freedom not to believe are inalienable rights in Britain. I'll defend those rights to my dying day.' Blasphemy laws were officially abolished in the UK in 2008. Coskun was prosecuted under the Public Order Act. Originally, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged him with harassing the 'religious institution of Islam' – wording that sparked outrage and was later revised. The CPS insists Coskun was not prosecuted for burning the Koran itself, but rather for the combination of burning it, making inflammatory remarks, and doing so publicly. Katy Thorne KC, representing Coskun, argued that his protest was not motivated by hatred of followers of Islam, but criticism of the religion itself. However, District Judge John McGarva rejected that argument, telling the court: 'Your actions in burning the Koran where you did were highly provocative, and your actions were accompanied by bad language in some cases directed toward the religion and were motivated at least in part by hatred of followers of the religion.'
Fox News
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Catholic group calls out Tim Cook, Apple TV+ for show's 'Eucharistic desecration'
A Catholic group is calling out Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple TV+ in a letter demanding an apology and removal of a "Eucharistic desecration" scene in one of its shows. "As the nation's largest lay Catholic advocacy organization, we write to express our concern about a blasphemous anti-Catholic scene in the Apple TV+ show, Your Friends and Neighbors," CatholicVote said in a Monday letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. "Episode 6 of the series depicts two characters breaking into a Catholic church," the letter, signed by Josh Mercer, vice president of CatholicVote, reads. "The male character steals Eucharistic hosts from the tabernacle, which they eat as a snack. The man flippantly remarks about how they are eating the Body of Christ. The man feeds a host to the female character and feigns blessing her. Then they begin engaging in romantic activity in the pews before the pastor walks in, and they flee the church." Mercer, who is also requesting a meeting with Cook to discuss how the company can promote "true diversity and tolerance," called the scene "sacrilegious," and asked Cook if he would be tolerant of similar content mocking the Islamic or Jewish religion. CatholicVote's website called it a "shocking depiction of Eucharistic desecration." "As Catholics, we have believed for 2,000 years that the Eucharist is not simply a piece of bread," Mercer wrote. "It is the body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. The practice of taking communion was instituted by Christ himself at the Last Supper. Receiving the Eucharist at Mass is, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, 'the source and summit of the Christian life.'" He also highlighted a statement on Apple's website, which appears to value supporting those from various walks of life, stating, "At Apple, we create a culture … with a North Star of dignity, respect, and opportunity for everyone. Because we're not all the same. And that remains one of our greatest strengths." Mercer also pointed to a 2015 op-ed from Cook where he opposed discrimination against those who provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Cook wrote that, "I have great reverence for religious freedom… Apple is open. Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love." CatholicVote has also launched a petition with 169,596 signatures and counting asking signers to tell Apple leadership that they "won't stand for blasphemy." "Apple's shameless depiction of blatant sacrilege inside a Catholic Church is a direct attack on what Catholics hold most dear," Mercer told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We solemnly believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ; this fundamental truth is the source and summit of our Catholic Faith," he added. "We cannot stand by while Christ and His Church are casually mocked in the name of 'entertainment.' We call on Catholics to join us in demanding that Apple take down the blasphemous episode and issue an apology. We await Apple's response to our letter and hope it makes amends for its offensive actions." Fox News Digital reached out to Cook and Apple for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Telegraph
03-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
It should be legal to make people angry, even by burning the Koran
Many people in response to the Coskun case appear to believe free speech is an absolute in this country; but it isn't and never has been. For a few centuries, it is true, people have been free (or used to be free) to say what they thought provided they did not incite violence. One exception was the common law offence of blasphemy and the related crime of blasphemous libel. These were formally abolished in England and Wales in 2008 and in Scotland only last year. They continue to be offences in Northern Ireland and apply only to the Christian faith. Burning a bible in Armagh would, presumably, be considered blasphemous. English law does not forbid the burning of a holy book. Indeed, the district judge in the Coskun case was at pains to say he was not being arraigned for this but for disorderly behaviour under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Public Order Act 1986. Coskun, a Turkish-born opponent of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held the burning book aloft and shouted 'Islam is the religion of terrorists' and 'the Koran is burning'. It was what happened next that made this a crime. A man emerged from an adjacent property and attacked Coskun, threatening to kill him, and a passer-by joined in. He 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.' The judge said: 'What made his conduct disorderly was the timing and location of the conduct and that all this was accompanied by abusive language… That the conduct was disorderly is not better illustrated than by the fact that it led to serious public disorder involving him being assaulted by two different people.' Yet if someone carrying out a legal activity, namely burning a book, is attacked then surely it is the assailant who is at fault. Arguably, Coskun was not aiming his protest at Muslims but at their religion. The two are not the same, even if adherents disagree, and our right to criticise a religion must be upheld. But our free speech protections have become so tied up with other laws that they are rendered redundant. The prosecutor in the Coskun case said his conviction did not represent any restriction on criticising religion but that is disingenuous to put it charitably. The cause of this legal confusion is the expansion of a multi-cultural society and Parliament's belief that criticising a faith is a proxy for racist hatred. Politicians believe we need laws to protect minority groups from abuse; but these are now used to shut down perfectly legitimate opinions and activities. Over the years we have seen the gradual prohibition of ideas because they hurt someone's feelings or make them angry. But as long as there is no attempt or intention to provoke violence, why should this be a matter for the criminal law? Moreover, why should it be forbidden to criticise any faith whether it be Islam, Judaism or Christianity? We are assured that this is still permitted and yet it evidently isn't if to do so leads to an arrest because it inspires a hostile reaction. The Public Order Act means any conduct deemed 'likely' to cause someone 'harassment, alarm or distress' can be punishable. The word 'likely' needs to be removed from legislation since it is impossible to define. Indeed, the fault here lies with Parliament's constant tinkering. America's founding fathers introduced the First Amendment to the constitution because they did not trust the legislature to uphold free speech. It states that 'Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech'. That is unambiguous whereas legislators here have done nothing but meddle to the point where no-one is clear where the boundaries lie any more. There is more to come with a new definition of 'Islamophobia' being drawn up by a committee appointed by Angela Rayner due to be published next month. The Coskun case has become a cause célèbre, taken up by the Free Speech Union and the National Secular Society which objects to the revival of a blasphemy law and is backing an appeal. In particular, it is seen as a unique protection for Islam, though I doubt Hasidic Jews would take kindly to a Torah being burned outside their synagogue after a Shabbat service. Any threat of disorder would presumably trigger an arrest, though I would not be confident of that. The cost of defending freedom can come at a much higher price than the £240 fine received by Coskun. The Swedish Koran burner, Salwan Momika, was murdered in Stockholm earlier this year.
The Guardian
03-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Minister rejects Badenoch's claim that fine for man who set fire to Qur'an revives blasphemy laws
Update: Date: 2025-06-03T08:28:39.000Z Title: Kemi Badenoch Content: Good morning. Public spending is still the dominant issue at Westminster, with the spending review taking place a week tomorrow, and debate still raging about how the government will fund its defence and welfare plans (although the debate is now not so much whether there will be tax rises, rather how big they will be). But the Conservatives are now trying to revive a culture war issue, accusing Labour of in effect using blasphemy legislation to protect legislation. has been responding to the case of Hamit Coskun, who was found guilty and fined £240 yesterday for a religiously aggravated public order offence after he set fire to a Qur'an outside the Turkish consulate in London. Sammy Gescoyler has the story here. As Sammy reports, the judge, John McGarva, said that Coskun's actions were 'highly provocative' and said he was 'motivated at least in part by a hatred of Muslims'. But, in comments written up supportively by the Daily Mail in their splash, Badenoch said the case should go to appeal. She said: De facto blasphemy laws will set this country on the road to ruin. This case should go to appeal. Freedom of belief, and freedom not to believe, are inalienable rights in Britain. I'll defend those rights to my dying day. Not for the first time, Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, has pushed this even further, telling the Daily Telegraph: This decision is wrong. It revives a blasphemy law that parliament repealed. Free speech is under threat. I have no confidence in Two-Tier Keir to defend the rights of the public to criticise all religions. John Healey, the defence secretary, was on media round duty for the government this morning. Asked about the Tory claims by Sky News, Healey did not want to talk about the case itself, saying this was a matter for the courts. But he rejected the claim that blasphemy laws were coming back, telling Sky: We don't have blasphemy laws. We don't have any plans to reintroduce blasphemy laws. The National Secular Society is backing Coskun, and Humanists UK have also said they are concerned about yesterday's verdict. But, in his ruling, the judge said that burning a religious book and making criticism of Islam or the Koran are 'not necessarily disorderly'. McGarva went on: 'What made [Coskun's] conduct disorderly was the timing and location of the conduct and that all this was accompanied by abusive language.' Here is the agenda for the day. 9.30am: Keir Starmer chairs cabinet. 10.15am: Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, gives evidence to the Treasury committee. 11.30am: Shabana Mahmood, justice secretary, takes questions in the Commons. Noon: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing. 2.30pm: Yvette Cooper, home secretary, gives evidence to the Commons home affairs committee. If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can't read all the messages BTL, but if you put 'Andrew' in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word. If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @ The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary. I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can't promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
