Terrorist sues pub landlord over 'deeply offensive' Saracen's Head sign claiming the image 'scares him'
16 December 2024, 08:38 | Updated: 16 December 2024, 09:13
A convicted terrorist is suing a British pub over claims its sign is "deeply offensive" and the image "scares him".
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Khalid Baqa, who has previously served four years behind bars for preparing Jihadi propaganda, is suing the Saracen's Head Inn in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, for £1,850 over the pub's choice of sign.
The former inmate has described the pub's sign as a racist "depiction of a bearded Arab/Turk", insisting the illustration on the sign is "xenophobic" and "incites violence".
Now, Baqa has asked for £1,850 in compensation from Robbie Hayes, 52, landlord of the Saracen's Head pub.
He's also pledged to take on more than 30 other pubs with the same name if his case proves successful.
“It’s a complete joke. This pub has been called The Saracen’s Head for 500 years," the landlord told The Sun.
“He’s just chancing his hand. Of course it worries me — you never know with people like this."
Insisting none of his punters are racist and the name has cultural significance, Mr Hayes asserts the name is "simply historic".
“No one at this pub is racist, we don’t believe the sign is racist and the name is simply historic," the landlord continued.
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“We won’t be pushed around and change hundreds of years of history just because some loudmouth wants to cause trouble,” he added.
Baqa was jailed for four years and eight months in 2018 after admitting five counts of dissemination of Terrorist publications.
After spotting the sign at the Buckinghamshire pub, Baqa made the county court filing for £1,850 in cash.
He claims to have contacted the pub on four occasions and even visited in person - despite employees at the drinking spot having no record of his visits or complaints.
His submission claims: “While walking through the area I was shocked and deeply offended by what I saw.
“I saw pub signage depicting a brown-skinned bearded Arab/Turk male with a turban and captioned ‘The Saracen’s Head’.
“This instilled worry and fear in me since it was clearly xenophobic, racist and inciting violence to certain people.
"I immediately complained to the pub and requested the signage be removed.”
He told the paper of his financial claim: “I’ve always been offended by pub names like these but I’ve only recently discovered how I can challenge them online.”
He added: “I’ve stopped all the terrorism stuff now.”
