A judge in the United Kingdom admonished a man who tore out pages of the Islamic Quran and burned them, stating that the book was “sacred” and that such actions were not permissible in a “tolerant” society. Martin Frost set fire to the Quran on February 1 in Manchester, England, live streaming the incident on social media outside a memorial to the 2017 Manchester bombing, in which a jihadist killed 22 people, including many children.
Frost pleaded guilty to a charge of racial or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, noting that he burned the Quran in response to the death of his daughter, who was killed in the Israeli conflict.
He also claimed he was acting in solidarity with activist Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee who was murdered in Sweden. Momika was also known for carrying out Quran-burning protests.
Judge Margaret McCormack told Frost she was sympathetic to the loss of his daughter but insisted, “The Quran is a sacred book to Muslims, and treating it as you did is going to cause extreme distress. This is a tolerant country, but we just do not tolerate this behavior.” Frost is expected to be sentenced on April 29.
Controversially, Greater Manchester posted his full name, date of birth, and location on social media after he was charged, potentially exposing him to assassination.
His case comes after protestors last year were sentenced for as little as shouting, “Who the f**k is Allah?” following the mass stabbing of children by Axel Rudakubana in Southport last summer.
