A man who filmed himself setting a Koran alight in a North London street has been sentenced to prison for religiously aggravated criminal damage.
Hamit Coskun, 43, was captured on video burning the Islamic holy text on Stoke Newington Road in Hackney last October. The disturbing footage showed him setting the book on fire while making offensive comments about the Muslim community.
Coskun, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated criminal damage at Stratford Magistrates' Court earlier this year. He has now been sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment at the same court.
Community Impact and Police Response
The incident caused significant distress within the local community and was treated with utmost seriousness by law enforcement. Detective Sergeant Matt Shiels of the Central East Command Unit emphasized that such acts targeting religious communities would not be tolerated.
"This was a disgraceful incident which caused understandable offence and distress," DS Shiels stated. "We take all reports of hate crime seriously and will work to bring perpetrators to justice."
Political Context and Wider Implications
The case emerges amid ongoing national debates about religious freedom and hate crime legislation in the UK. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has recently called for stronger measures against what he described as "extremist displays," though his comments weren't directly linked to this specific incident.
Community leaders have welcomed the swift police action and sentencing, highlighting the importance of protecting religious freedom while maintaining community harmony.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they responded promptly to reports of the incident and conducted a thorough investigation leading to Coskun's identification and arrest.
