Fears new Islamophobia definition could be used to water down terrorism laws

Activists demanding an Islamophobia definition will use it to water down counter-terrorism policies and immigration rules, a scathing report has warned. Mend - the group behind the campaign for a definition - has vowed to challenge "policy failures", including "how Muslims are unfairly targeted in counter-terrorism laws", think tank Policy Exchange says.

The group also says the definition will create "a sociological lens through which to carry out structural analyses of discriminatory policies embedded within, for example, immigration, counter-terrorism legislation, media portrayals of Muslims and employment practices". Policy Exchange said the new definition of anti-Muslim hate risks a "two-tier policy" that creates protections for followers of Islam that do not apply to people of other faiths. Khalid Mahmood, Policy Exchange senior fellow, who was Britain's longest-serving Muslim MP, said: "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.

"The only safe answer is to have no official definition at all. It is not too late to step back."

Ministers launched the group, chaired by barrister and former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve, in February.

It is aimed at defining Islamophobia or anti-Muslim hatred in a way "which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims".

Critics of efforts to create a new definition for Islamophobia have raised concerns that doing so could create backdoor blasphemy laws, and curtail speech about Islamic extremism.

Policy Exchange has argued there is no need for a new definition.

It does not agree with the one endorsed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims, which it argues is a "more explicitly expansionist, and legally binding, definition".

The APPG defines Islamophobia as "rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness".

Policy Exchange has claimed some supporters of an official definition "want to use it to undermine Britain's counterterrorism laws, immigration rules, employment legislation and foreign policy".

They added: "To bring about fundamental social and structural change, by the back door, without democratic consent."

A newspaper report at the weekend suggested the review of the definition has moved away from using the words "Islamophobia" and "Muslimness".

New wording will aim to define hatred towards Muslims, but also protect free speech

Baroness Gohir said that people would be "pleasantly surprised" by their proposal, claiming it would use the term anti-Muslim hate rather than Islamophobia.

But Andrew Gilligan and Paul Stott, authors of the report, point out: "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 Grieve definition literally no more than copies the exact words of the law (in which case the whole exercise is pointless) any new definition of 'anti-Muslim hate' will be two things.

"First, it will be an explicit act of two-tier policy, creating new protections for Muslims that do not apply to people of other faiths.

"Second, it will create a wedge, a slippery slope. Once the principle of special treatment and new protections exclusively for Muslims is accepted by the Government, that opens the door for the plainly expressed ambitions of those (including, in the past, Grieve and Gohir) who support a more explicitly expansionist, and legally binding, definition."

Mend said in a statement: "Hate crimes against Muslims are at record level, highlighting the urgent need for a clear and consistent definition.

"According to the latest Home Office figures, hate crimes against Muslims rose by 19% last year, the sharpest rise among all religious groups, with almost half of all religious hate crimes targeted at Muslims, the largest number for any religious group.

"These figures confirm that Britain faces a growing Islamophobia crisis that demands recognition and decisive action.

"Concerns that a definition of Islamophobia could be used to influence or reshape policies are overstated. A robust definition would provide a clear framework to identify discrimination and structural bias, without undermining democratic processes or existing laws.

"It would support accountability, inform fair decision-making and help protect communities from discrimination and demonisation."