SWLSpub – By Freddie Noble and Fintan McGuinness
A landlord has stood firm against demands to change his pub’s name by a convicted terrorist who says it’s “offensive”.
Khalid Baqa, who was previously jailed for distributing jihadist propaganda, has launched legal action or demands to a number of UK pubs called the Saracen’s Head.
He’s threatened to sue Robbie Hayes, the owner of the Saracen’s Head Inn in Amersham, if he is “stubborn enough not to remove or amend” the name.
And he’s sent letters demanding name changes to Simon Belsey, 49, landlord of Grade-I listed Saracen’s Head in Hereford.
And Peter Dillingham, 59, who owns a 17th-century pub with the name in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.
But Mr Dillingham now says he is standing firm – and called Baqa “a charlatan – just a chancer” – but expressed worry over his letters.
Peter recognised the complaints reported to have been received by other landlords from emails he had received in October.
He says the pub has had its name since 1612 – and its sign actually shows a helmeted warrior with a sword.
“He obviously hadn’t seen our sign,” he said. “I think he just a charlatan, just a chancer.”
Peter says he does not expect the Amersham lawsuit – which describes the pubs signs as “deeply offensive” – to succeed.
But is concerned that it would open the floodgates for all other Saracen’s Head pubs to be sued.
Mr Dillingham has described the name as “a piece of history” with “no racial intent” and questioned whether Mr Baqa has genuinely seen many of the pubs he has threatened.
He said the complaint included a line stating “I have discovered that this is not the only pub that has emanated controversy on your part”, seemingly referring to The Black Boy in Bricket Wood of which Mr Dillingham is also landlord.
Mr Baqa said the name is what he finds most offensive – due to its association with the crusades.
He claimed it is linked to the use of Muslim soldiers’ heads as trophies and “has always offended me for many years” as he thinks many pubs are “proud of the crusades”.
If the word ‘head’ was removed from the name “there would be no issue whatsoever”.
He added: “If I am successful in any of my lawsuits, then all money awarded to me would be donated towards orphans in Gaza and Syria.
“I hope these pubs will realise that this is not the 15th or 16th century but 2025 and the UK is a vibrant, multi-cultural society.”
Mr Baqa was jailed in 2018 for dissemination of terrorist publications on the tube. He admitted to five counts of dissemination of terrorist publications.
There are around 30 pubs across the UK that use a variation of the name Saracen’s Head.
ENDS
