WATCH: Koran-burning activist reveals he has faced 'death threats' - 'I will continue my fight!' - video Dailymotion

GB News

A man convicted of burning a Koran outside the Turkish consulate in London says he has received hundreds of death threats following his protest. Hamit Coskun revealed he has faced serious threats, telling GB News: "They sent me messages saying they'll find me where I am and they'll cut my throat." He described how two men found him, showed him the video of the Koran burning, and attacked him with a knife and glass ashtray, telling him "one day I'll die because of doing this."The men were arrested but released the next day, whilst Coskun spent up to 24 hours in custody twice with strict bail conditions.WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE FOR MORE

Transcript

00:00I'm an activist, I'm an artist, and I'm a critic of Islam.

00:04I've been fighting for this for years, all my life, and I intend to continue my fight.

00:09But it might not be burning the Quran. It might be protests on the street.

00:13For example, it could be writing down certain paragraphs in the Quran that promote violence and terrorism

00:17and holding those papers to use my right to protest.

00:22Have you had death threats as a result of what you did?

00:25Hundreds of death threats have been targeted towards me, especially on my social media.

00:30I received the threats from areas like Birmingham and London.

00:35They sent me messages saying they'll find me where I am and they'll cut my throat.

00:40That is the truth of Islam.

00:42Have you given those messages to the police?

00:45I told the police about the messages and my lawyer submitted one of the messages to the court.

00:50In London, after I burned the Quran, two guys found me in my apartment

00:54and they showed me the video of me burning the Quran and they attacked me.

00:57One of them had a knife and the other had a glass ashtray.

01:03They showed the video to me and they told me one day I'll die because of doing this.

01:07Just wait for the day you are going to die, they told me.

01:11I went to my room.

01:13I called the police and they came and arrested two guys.

01:16The next day they were released.

01:17I'm not sure what happened to them in the end.

01:20I don't understand this because I was in custody two times and each times between 20 and 24 hours.

01:26And also my bail conditions were really strict.

01:29I had to go to the police station to sign in and could not go further than the train station.

01:33This means that even without the court giving a verdict, I was kind of punished.

01:36Okay, what do you think this says about freedom of speech in Britain

01:44and have you got a message to our Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer?

01:48Since my arrest, I've faced serious disappointments,

01:52especially the fact that I was prosecuted and the outcome of my prosecution,

01:57as well as the tolerance for the attacks I've been faced with,

02:00as if they're trying to punish me and protect the Islamists.

02:02Do you think that of all the religions, Islam is the most protected,

02:11is protected differently in Britain?

02:13I don't think other religions are in the same position to create any kind of threat against

02:17civilisation, against humanity and against democracy.

02:20Very lastly, quickly, your message to Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister.

02:25They're trying to please that part of the community and they're trying to enforce the blasphemy laws.

02:29The democracy of Great Britain is under serious threat.

02:32And people, just because they post opinions on social media, are arrested and they're attacked.

02:37The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, should especially take certain steps on this topic

02:42and not make any compromises so that he can protect or please this part of the community.

02:47Why only be sensitive to Islamists?

02:49There are groups of minorities like Jewish people.

02:51They have to hide their identity before they go on the streets.

02:53They disclose their identity.

02:55They're attacked by the Islamists.

02:57They're weak.

03:02That's true.

03:03They're left.

03:04They're linked to Islamists.

03:06This is aINS.

03:06It's bad.

03:07That's true.

03:07It Gulch.

03:08I'm going for that peace.

03:09I feel free to ask him.

03:10I feel free to give you all the read you.

03:12This is good.

03:13It's unfortunate.

03:14I feel free to ask them.

03:15I feel free to ask you all thealkians.

03:16In fact, go into Islamists.

03:17Do it.

03:18In fact, I feel free to say anything.

03:19That's good, that's good.

03:19I feel düş prevention.

03:21I feel free to ask them as long as they're doing well.

WATCH: Koran-burning activist reveals he has faced 'death threats' - 'I will continue my fight!'

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