A landlord of a Saracens Head pub which is under threat by a convicted terrorist over its ‘racist’ sign and name has defended his establishment as a ‘piece of history’.
Khalid Baqa, who was previously jailed for distributing jihadist propaganda, has launched legal action or demands to several pubs across the UK called the Saracens Head.
The first landlord to reveal he had been sued by Baqa was Robbie Hayes, who owns the Saracens Head Inn in Amersham.
But it later emerged that Baqa had also sent letters demanding changes to Simon Belsey, 49, landlord of Grade-I listed Saracens Head in Hereford and Peter Dillingham, 59, who owns a pub with the name in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.
Mr Dillingham has also vowed to stand firm, describing Baqa as ‘a charlatan – just a chancer’.
The landlord of the 17th-century pub recognised the complaints from those reported 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 is just a charlatan, just a chancer.’
Pub landlord Peter Dillingham, who owns the Saracens Head in Kings Langley, has vowed to stand firm, describing Baqa as ‘a charlatan – just a chancer’
Terrorist Khalid Baqa (pictured), who was jailed for four years for preparing jihadist propaganda, has sparked outrage by threatening Saracens Head pubs with legal action
Mr Dillingham has described the name as ‘a piece of history’ with ‘no racial intent’. Pictured: The Saracens Head pub in Kings Langley
Mr Dillingham says he does not expect the Amersham Saracens Head lawsuit – which describes the pubs signs as ‘deeply offensive’ – to succeed.
But he is concerned that it would open the floodgates for all other Saracens Head pubs to be sued.
Mr Dillingham has described the name as ‘a piece of history’ with ‘no racial intent’ and questioned whether 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.
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 said.
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.
The Saracen’s Head in Kings Langley shows a man brandishing a sword and a shield
Inside one corner of the pub is a fireplace with half a dozen carved faces depicting the pub’s symbol
Simon Belsey, 49, who runs The Saracen’s Head next to the River Wye in Hereford, (pictured) has also received two letters from the 60-year-old threatening legal action
Robbie Hayes (pictured), landlord of the Saracens Head in Amersham, has vowed to fight the lawsuit, calling it a ‘complete joke’
‘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.’
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 Saracens Head.
In his initial lawsuit, Baqa described the ‘depiction of a bearded Arab/Turk’ on the pub’s sign as racist and suggests the depiction ‘incites violence’.
The term Saracen was previously used to refer to Muslims and is believed to date back to the Crusades.
The addition of the word ‘head’ in pub names reflects the previous custom for referring to pubs by the illustration on their sign.
Pub signs often show only a head and shoulder’s portrait, hence ‘The Saracens Head’.