An atheist shocked Muslim volunteers at a stall promoting Islam when he ripped out pages from the Koran. Peter James Crawford (52) then threw the holy book onto the ground and told them: "Your religion is a load of b******s."

He is on trial at Leicester Crown Court accused of causing religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress, by demonstrating hostility based on membership of a particular religious group, Islam. He denies the charge.

The incident happened at the Islamic Information Centre's stall, near the Clock Tower in Leicester city centre, on a busy Saturday afternoon, on May 12.

Kamran Qayyum, an employee of the organisation, told the court: "We give out literature to create an awareness of Islam and engage with the public." He was with four volunteers when Crawford began pacing around nearby.

Mr Qayyum said: "He started tearing up pages from a book and they were going on the floor. He wasn't saying anything. The pages covered a lot of ground, they were everywhere. I then noticed Arabic inscriptions and realised it was the Koran. I knelt down and was picking up the papers when he threw the Koran down, just missing me."

Mr Qayyum said: "The Koran is sacred to us and we honour it. We also have a Bible on our stand and we show the Bible the same respect. One of the laws of the Koran is it shouldn't be on the floor, it should be high up and our hands should be clean when it's touched. I was shocked."

Mr Quyyum said after the defendant was arrested: "He made a signal to us, shaping his hand in the form of a gun, saying 'See you next Saturday'."

Defence advocate Steven Newcombe said: "There are many who oppose Islam. Did you take it he was expressing anti-Islamic views and disrespecting the religion?"

"Yes," said Mr Quyyum.

Mr Quyyum agreed that apart from a hand gesture – which Mr Newcombe suggested was the pointing of a finger rather than a gun gesture – the defendant did not threaten or provoke any violence.

Another stall volunteer, Zahid Hussein, said: "I saw him ripping up the book. I was in shock, disgusted. It's our life, our way of life and we live by that book – it's very sacred." He said Crawford told them their religion was "a load of b******s."

Crawford, of Mere Road, Spinney Hill, Leicester, claimed, in interview, he was expressing his disagreement with religion of any kind. He told the police it was his own copy of the Koran he tore up, and he would have done the same with a Bible as he did not understand either holy book and "hated" all religion. "I'm not against the people, just their religion," he said.

James Bide-Thomas, prosecuting, said: "The real issue is whether Crawford was insulting and whether it was a crime that we say he committed. It's tradition in this country of freedom of speech and people are entitled to say what they want, as long as it's not illegal in relation to the law, which prevents people going out to cause harassment, alarm or distress by insulting behaviour, basically upsetting people.

"It's for you to decide whether what he did was insulting or whether it was a legitimate piece of freedom of speech being exercised or if what he did was deliberately calculated to upset the people from the Islamic Information Centre."

The trial continues.

Leicester Mercury, 20 December 2012

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A Rock Hill Walmart employee was fired Saturday after police say she grabbed a co-worker’s arm, threatened to cut her throat and called her an anti-Muslim, derogatory name, according to a police report.

Police spoke with the victim, 23, who said she was on her break at the Walmart on Old York Road and tried to buy some items, according to a Rock Hill police report. While in the checkout line, a co-worker stepped behind her but tried to check out first by skipping in front of the woman and moving her items.

The two employees began to argue before the co-worker called the victim a derogatory, anti-Muslim name. She grabbed the woman's arm twice and said she was going to cut her throat, the victim told police.

The employee told her manager, who fired the employee, according to the report. No arrests were made. The victim will seek a courtesy summons against her former co-worker, according to the police report.

The Herald, 3 December 2012

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A man arrested in connection with an EDL protest against a newly-approved mosque has been fined after he admitted swearing at riot police.

Gary Donaldson, 32, had been drinking at the Chesters Pub in Chester Road in Sunderland, when he was confronted by officers with video cameras.

Sunderland Magistrates' Court heard how Donaldson screamed expletives into the camera and became aggressive towards the officer holding the device. He was one of 13 people arrested during the protest on October 6, 2012.

Representing himself at the short hearing, Donaldson, of Frederick Street, Seaham, pleaded guilty to drunk and disorderly on Friday October 26. He was fined £35, and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge as well as £85 costs.

Around 200 people were involved in the demonstration on St Mark's Road, which saw members of far-right groups including the English Defence League and National Front clashing with anti-fascists and members of the Muslim community.

Scores of police armed with batons were called in as the disorder escalated, and a firecracker in a glass bottle was seen being thrown at officers.

Eight men arrested on suspicion of public order offences and another three arrested on suspicion of affray are on bail pending further enquires.

Sky Tyne and Wear, 27 October 2012

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A man has pleaded guilty to subjecting a police officer to a torrent of racist abuse.

David Hammond, 41, of South Street, Hemsworth, admitted shouting, swearing and using racist insults against PC Junaid Farooq. He appeared before Pontefract Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The court heard that PC Farooq, of the South East neighbourhood policing team, had been called to a domestic incident between Hammond and his partner on Friday, September 14. Officers cautioned Hammond for swearing at the police but he refused to calm down. He was arrested and taken away by police when he began to hurl racist and religious insults at PC Farooq.

Prosecuting Diane Gomersall said: "He shouted 'all you Muslims just fly planes into buildings.' He then said 'where are you from? I am English from Vikings, where are you from?'" She said that Hammond continued abusing PC Farooq on the way to the police station and in front of the custody sergeant. Mrs Gomersall said: "PC Farooq is an officer of eight years experience and he said it was the worst racist and religious abuse he has suffered."

Hammond was ordered to pay a £180 fine and £100 in compensation to Mr Farooq.

Hemsworth & South Elmsall Express, 3 October 2012

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The leader of the far-right English Defence League has come under fire after racially abusing a girl who told him she was 15-years-old on Twitter.

Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told Twitter user 'Asianish' "You're pretty fit for a Muslim". Defending herself, she wrote back "I'm 15 and you've got the cheek to call Muslims paedos."

Robinson's Twitter abuse comes after the EDL boss highlighted the race of the Asian men convicted in Rochdale grooming case, linking their Pakistani and Afghan origins to the sexual exploitation of under-age girls.

Huffington Post, 16 May 2012

See also EDL News, 16 May 2012

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