Let me be clear. Anti-Muslim hatred, or indeed any religious hatred, has no place in our society or politics. I consider tackling any and all forms of religiously motivated hate crime is of the utmost importance. No one should feel unsafe while practicing their religion. Ministers have said that tackling hate crime will be a key part of their work to overcome divisions and create connections between all communities, and I will hold this Labour Government to account for this.
However, Islam is a religion and, as such, should be open to the same robust questioning, debate, challenge and criticism as any other religion is in Great Britain. From The Life of Brian to the long overdue reckoning with sexual abuse in the Church establishment, Christianity has, rightfully, not been spared from the glare of the public eye and, while this has undoubtedly not been universally welcomed, a strong religion can, and should, bear scrutiny, and yes, even satire.
Religion is a belief system and does not have the right to be shielded or protected – people do.
An 'Islamophobia' definition risks chilling legitimate and lawful debate, hindering not only criticism of extremism but cultural practices and beliefs that may be antithetical to British values. Anti-Muslim hatred is a better term which reflects UK crime legislation so it is alarming the Deputy Prime Minister has confirmed that she has established a working group to provide a new non-statutory definition of Islamophobia. The Government has also said that "a new definition of Islamophobia must be given careful consideration, so it comprehensively covers multiple perspectives and considers potential implications for different communities and how it may affect the policing of non-crime hate incidents
My colleague, the Shadow Equalities Minister Claire Coutinho MP, wrote in a letter to the Deputy Prime Minister, that it was extremely concerning the Government's call for evidence appeared only to have been shared privately with a select few stakeholders. I agree it is completely unacceptable that the Government did not initially seek wider public views considering the wide-ranging and serious implications that the definition will have on free speech in this country which affects us all.
Please do click on this link to hear what Claire says in her own words about her meeting with the Minister in charge of Labour’s Islamophobia definition:
I am aware that my colleague, Nick Timothy MP, has also campaigned to ensure the Government's consultation is open and transparent. I believe he is spot on to do this. I am pleased that his work has helped to force the Government to U-turn on their consultation, forcing the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure that the consultation will now run for an extra week and a link for responses to the plans has been made public. You can access the link here:
Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred Definition Working Group - call for evidence (Page 1 of 11)
I also look forward to debating his Freedom of Expression (Religion or Belief System) Bill as parliamentary time allows.
Freedom of Expression (Religion or Belief System) - Hansard - UK Parliament
