Convicted Terrorist Sues Saracen’s Head Pub Over “Deeply Offensive” Sign
18th December 2024
Islamist Khalid Baqa has lodged a lawsuit against the landlord of The Saracen’s Head Inn in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Baqa, who served four years and eight months in prison for disseminating jihadist propaganda on the London Underground, claims that the pub’s sign depicting a bearded man in a turban is “racist, xenophobic, and incites violence.” He is demanding £1,850 in damages and has vowed to extend his campaign to 30 other pubs bearing the same name if successful.
“The depiction instilled fear in me,” Baqa stated in his submission to the county court, as reported by The Telegraph. “It’s clearly inciting hatred against certain groups.” He also alleges that he contacted the pub on multiple occasions to request the removal of the sign, although The Sun says staff at the historic establishment have no record of these communications.
The Saracen’s Head, which has been in operation for 500 years, takes its name from a term historically used to describe Arabs or Muslims, particularly during the Crusades. Landlord Robbie Hayes, 52, has categorically dismissed the lawsuit as “a complete joke,” insisting the sign reflects history rather than bigotry: