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The landlord defended his Pub after the convicted terrorist claimed he was “deeply offended” by his “racist” sign.
Khalid Baqa – who was previously in prison for spreading jihadi content – is seeking hundreds of pounds in a civil action against The Saracen’s Head Inn in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, via his sign “depicting a brown-skinned bearded Arab/Turk with a turban”, which he claims “incites violence”.
Describing the lawsuit as “ridiculous”, landlord Robbie Hayes, 52, said The Independent received a letter from His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service at the end of November, with a “list of demands” Baqa, 60.
According to Hayes, who vehemently denies the allegations, Baqa is seeking compensation for “racist insinuation”, “xenophobia” and “incitement to racial violence against a particular race”.
The 52-year-old, from Amersham, told the publication: “It’s funny. I don’t think he has a leg to stand on. It has been called the Saracen’s Head for 500 years. Why, overnight, did Khalid Baqa take offense at this? I don’t think one man can change the historical name of a pub that has been called that for 500 years because he doesn’t like it. That’s ridiculous.”
The sun registered that Baqa intends to take similar legal action against dozens of other pubs called The Saracen’s Head across the UK if it succeeds in its current claim.
He told the newspaper: “I’ve always been offended by pub names like this, but I only recently discovered how I can challenge them online.”
He added: “Now I have stopped all the terrorist stuff.”
Baqa reportedly filed a “money claim” form, which is a request to the county court for an amount of money someone says is owed to them.
According to the documents he saw The Independenthis submission reads: “As I walked around the area I was shocked and deeply offended by what I saw. I have seen pub signs showing a brown skinned Arab/Turk bearded man with a turban and the words ‘Head of a Saracen’.
“This filled me with worry and fear because it was clearly xenophobic, racist and incitement to violence against certain people. I immediately complained to the pub and asked for the signs to be removed.”
The sun reported that he claimed to have contacted the pub four times as well as visiting it in person – however Mr Hayes said The Independent his pub has no record of it.
Baqa was sentenced to two years in prison in 2013 after admitting to having 300 computer discs containing terrorist material in his car and home. Five years later, he was again in prison for distributing jihadist CDs and leaflets.
The term ‘Saracen’ has been used to refer to Arabs since at least the 5th century and then later became associated with Muslims, and the pub name ‘The Saracen’s Head’ thought to be associated with the Crusades.
The Independent approached Baqa, Greene King and the Ministry of Justice for comment.