{"id":36796,"date":"2026-03-02T14:12:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T14:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/?p=36796"},"modified":"2026-03-23T15:52:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T15:52:44","slug":"could-blasphemy-laws-return-by-the-back-door","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/could-blasphemy-laws-return-by-the-back-door\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Blasphemy Laws Return by the Back Door?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A man who burned an Islamic ‘holy book’ in a demonstration outside the Turkish consulate, has won a landmark blasphemy case at the High Court.<\/p>\n

According to The Telegraph, Hamit Coskun, 51, previously succeeded in overturning a conviction for holding up a flaming copy of the quran and shouting \u201cf\u2014- Islam\u201d, in what he insisted was a political protest.<\/p>\n

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) appealed against the decision, claiming his actions were criminal and amounted to disorderly conduct.<\/p>\n

Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.<\/b><\/p>\n

Support NCCSS \/ Christian Voice \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n

Blasphemy Through the Back Door<\/h2>\n
\"Hamit<\/a>
Hamit Coskun fined after burning a copy of the Quran in London. Photo cred: BBC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a judgment handed down on 27 February 2026, Lord Justice Warby and Ms Justice Obi upheld the decision to overturn the conviction.<\/p>\n

It is indeed a rare win for free speech. However the desperate decision of prosecutors to convict Mr. Coskun, and effectively reintroduce blasphemy laws by the backdoor, should be of great concern.<\/p>\n

The Free Speech Union, which supported Coskun throughout proceedings, has now called for Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, to resign following the \u201chumiliating defeat\u201d.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, Tim Owen KC, representing Mr. Coskun at a hearing, said the appeal by the CPS was attempting to make burning any book on the streets of London a disorderly act as a matter of law.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a hopeless appeal,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what book it is, it could be Harry Potter or the Koran, but setting fire to it in central London completes the element of disorder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Friday\u2019s judgment, Hamit warned that if he lost, he may be forced to \u201cflee the UK and move to the US where President [Donald] Trump has stood for free speech and against Islamic extremism\u201d.<\/p>\n

Proverbs 21:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.<\/b><\/p>\n