UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner will establish a council to advise the government on tackling anti-Muslim hate and defining Islamophobia.
The Housing Secretary and prominent Labour figure announces plans to draft an official definition of Islamophobia.
What is Angela Rayner’s plan regarding Islamophobia?
Ms Rayner will reveal plans for a new council dedicated to addressing Islamophobia on Friday, highlighting the government’s promise to create an official definition of anti-Muslim hatred.
Who will lead the new Islamophobia advisory council?
Sources reveal Dominic Grieve, ex-Conservative attorney general, is expected to lead a new council advising Angela Rayner‘s ministry on tackling the rise in anti-Muslim hate in Britain.
He oversaw the Citizens’ UK Commission on Islam, a project focused on strengthening dialogue between Muslim and non-Muslim groups.
The former attorney general also contributed a foreword to a parliamentary group report in 2018 that outlined a definition of Islamophobia, later formally accepted by the Labour Party.
Referring to the complexity of establishing a clear definition of Islamophobia, Mr. Grieve stated,
“Defining Islamophobia is extremely difficult for perfectly valid reasons relating to freedom of expression.”
He highlighted concerns over discrimination, stating,
“Perfectly law-abiding Muslims going about their business and well-integrated into society are suffering discrimination and abuse.”
Free speech concerns surrounding the Islamophobia definition
The definition has faced backlash for its expansive scope, with worries that it may undermine free speech by functioning as a blasphemy law and limiting valid critiques of Islam as a faith.
Authorities will need to decide if they fully adopt the definition, adapt portions of it into a revised version, or draft an entirely new alternative. Officials reportedly suggest they want to develop a
“better understanding of this unacceptable treatment and prejudice against Muslim communities.”
Meanwhile, government officials have dismissed claims that the new definition would serve as a new blasphemy law, maintaining that it aligns with the enduring right of British citizens to free speech and expression.
Definition of Islamophobia from the all-party parliamentary group
The all-party parliamentary group, led by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, following an 18-month detailed review, introduced a definition of Islamophobia in 2018.
The definition stated,
“Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”
What did the MCHLG representative say about anti-muslim hate?
A spokesman for the MCHLG said,
“We are firmly committed to tackling all forms of hatred and division, including addressing the unacceptable rise in anti-Muslim hatred and will provide further updates on this shortly.”
What did Tell Mama reveal about Anti-Muslim hate incidents?
Tell Mama, an organization tracking Islamophobic cases, revealed a record hike in anti-Muslim hate last year. The independent monitoring body confirmed almost 6,000 reported incidents, more than the figures recorded two years ago. In a first since 2012, men experienced more targeted attacks than women.
Further, a total of 4,971 anti-Muslim hate cases were reported from October 7, 2023, to September 30, 2024, marking the highest numbers in the last 14 years.
Another organization documented more than 5,500 antisemitic cases between October 7, 2023, and September 30, 2024, a figure three times higher than the previous year.
What did the director of Tell Mama say about Anti-Muslim hate?
Iman Atta, the director of Tell Mama UK stated,
“The anti-migrant, anti-Muslim narratives, mixed with grooming suggestions and with Muslim communities being called ‘Hamas’ and ‘terrorist’, tells us that international incidents are colouring the view of some fellow citizens against Muslim communities in the UK.”
She added,
“Anti-Muslim hate is a cancer, it is a hate that needs concerted action to challenge it, and some politicians do not even speak about it. It says much about those politicians that they cannot even say anything about this form of hate. Sadly, there are many of them.”
The director stated that since Tell Mama’s establishment in 2012, the number of anti-Muslim cases reported to the organization has grown by an astonishing 800-1,000%.