Govt urged to ditch ‘deeply flawed’ Islamophobia definition

The Government has been urged not to adopt a Labour-backed definition of Islamophobia, amid free speech concerns.

Critics warn that the definition, which claims Islamophobia is “rooted in racism” and “targets expressions of Muslimness”, risks curtailing legitimate comment and discussion.

Last year, The Christian Institute’s Director Ciarán Kelly indicated that Christians who say “Islam is false” or that “Jesus is the only way to God” could be caught by the broad definition.

Free to disagree

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick described the definition as “deeply flawed”, and expressed his concern that, if officially endorsed, it would have “a chilling effect on freedom of speech”.

Stephen Evans, the Chief Executive of the National Secular Society, said: “Conflating criticism of a religion with hatred towards Muslims distorts legitimate dialogue and undermines the vital principle of free expression.”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We are committed to tackling hatred in all its forms including Islamophobia which has absolutely no place in our society. We will take into account a range of views and outline any updates on the government’s position in due course.”

Equality Law

In September, Faith Minister Lord Khan admitted that the Labour Party’s controversial definition is “not in line” with equality laws, and pledged that the Government would “never inhibit the lawful right to freedom of expression” when tackling ‘religious hatred’.

The Minister was responding to warnings from the Network of Sikh Organisations, which said: “Adoption of this contested definition into law would have serious implications on free speech, not least the ability to discuss historical truths.”