Hatun Tash

Hatun Tash regularly debates the Qur’an at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. On 25 July 2021, she was attacked and stabbed there for her Christian preaching.

Hatun Tash is a well-known Christian preacher who regularly debates Islam and the Qur’an at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. She has faced threats to her life on multiple occasions for speaking, and was attacked and stabbed on 25 July 2021 for preaching at Speakers’ Corner, suffering wounds to her face and hand. Police have repeatedly failed to protect Hatun or make any arrests following her being assaulted and threatened. Instead, she herself has been arrested and detained overnight in a police cell for challenging Islam at Speakers’ Corner. Most recently, Hatun was arrested after her own copy of the Qur’an was stolen from her; she was detained overnight, strip searched and interrogated. Her copy of the Qur’an has not been returned to her, despite police knowing who took it.

Hatun, an ex-Muslim and convert to Christianity, is director of the ministry Defend Christ Critique Islam, and has witnessed many Muslims turn from faith to Christianity. She is now being supported by the Christian Legal Centre and counter-terrorism are also investigating the case. Her case raises the question of whether the UK is implementing sharia law through the back door.

Hatun commented: “I am upset and disturbed by what has happened to me. I am asking myself if I have done anything wrong. I am convinced I have not broken any law or incited hate. All I did was question Islam and I wanted to debate, discuss and to tell people about Jesus Christ.

“Police inaction has led to what happened to me. My attacker was not even afraid of the police as he did it right in front of them. It is heart-breaking that we live in a society where police do not want to arrest a Muslim for fear of being called ‘Islamophobic’.”