Report Raises Concerns Over Definition of Islamophobia
A state-backed definition of “Islamophobia” would undermine Britain’s counterterrorism and immigration laws, a new report claims, reports BritPanorama.
The Policy Exchange think tank has criticized Labour’s proposed formal definition of anti-Islamic hate, cautioning that it would create a “two-tier policy” that protects Muslims while leaving other religious groups vulnerable. The organization argues that such a measure is not only unnecessary but may also lead to legal complications.
Ministers are currently evaluating recommendations from a covertly appointed government working group regarding this matter.
According to Policy Exchange, the group Mend—at the forefront of the campaign for a new definition—acknowledges that this definition is intended to address alleged “policy failures,” asserting that Muslims face excessive scrutiny under anti-terror laws. However, the think tank emphasizes that 94% of all terrorist-related deaths in Great Britain over the last 25 years resulted from Islamist attacks.
Khalid Mahmood, a Policy Exchange Senior Fellow and the UK’s longest-serving Labour Muslim MP, expressed his concerns, stating, “Opposition to an official Islamophobia definition has, until now, largely focused on its risk to free speech. But there is an even more dangerous threat, much less well understood – including by ministers themselves.”
Mahmood concludes that the safest approach would be to adopt no official definition at all, urging for reconsideration of the initiative.
Authors Andrew Gilligan and Paul Stott further contend, “There already is a definition of ‘anti-Muslim hate’ – the one provided by the law, which applies equally to hatred against people of all faiths. Unless the definition literally copies the exact words of the law, any new definition will result in an explicit act of two-tier policy.”
In related developments, a senior Conservative MP warned that Britain faces an escalating threat from Islamist extremists infiltrating public institutions, including government bodies and the NHS, seeking to impose their ideological beliefs.
Nick Timothy highlighted the growing trend among politicians and civil servants to capitulate to the sectarian demands of certain Muslim groups, which he described as sexist, anti-Western, and antisemitic. He called for a “national conversation” surrounding drastic measures such as banning the burqa and imposing stricter regulations on the influence of hard-line Islamic schools and mosques.
