Islamophobia definition could be weaponised, warns counter-terror expert

Telegraph

28-02-2025

A new Islamophobia definition could be weaponised to stifle legitimate debate about Islamist extremism, a former Labour MP and a Muslim counter-terrorism expert have warned.
Khalid Mahmood, who served as MP for Birmingham Perry Barr for more than 20 years, and Haras Rafiq, head of a counter-Islamism think tank, warned that attempts to define anti-Muslim hatred could be exploited by Islamist groups to stir division and mistrust.
Their comments came as Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, confirmed plans, first revealed by The Telegraph, to set up a working group, headed by Dominic Grieve, a former Tory attorney general, to draw up a definition of Islamophobia.
The definition will be non-statutory, like that for anti-Semitism, and will provide the Government and other relevant bodies with an understanding of unacceptable treatment and prejudice against Muslim communities, said her department.
Ms Rayner, whose department oversees community relations, said it was a 'crucial step' in tackling an 'unacceptable' rise in anti-Muslim hate crime which 'has no place in society' and 'creating a society where everyone feels safe and welcome'.
Free speech concerns
Mr Grieve pledged that any definition would have to protect free speech.
'We need to balance addressing the lived experience of those who are victims of it and the right of British Muslims to feel heard and protected as equal citizens of our country, with the unwavering requirement to maintain freedom of thought and expression under law for all,' he said.
He chaired the Citizens UK's commission on Islam which aimed to promote dialogue between Muslim and non-Muslim communities and wrote a foreword to a controversial all-party parliamentary group's report in 2018 which set out a definition of Islamophobia subsequently adopted by the Labour party.
The definition has been criticised for being so widely drawn that it could threaten free speech, amounts to a de facto blasphemy law and stifles legitimate criticism of Islam as a religion.
Ministers will have to decide whether to adopt it, subsume elements of it into a new version or come up with a completely different alternative.
However, Mr Mahmood, a senior fellow at the Policy Exchange think tank, said an Islamophobia definition 'will do nothing to create a society where everyone feels safe and welcome, but rather lead to even more division and mistrust'.
'The term Islamophobia has been weaponised by some of the most controversial groups which all have a degree of affiliation to Muslim Brotherhood and are trying to exert power and influence within British Muslim communities. Appointment to this group will give them further legitimacy,' he said.
'We need to look beyond a narrow definition and instead focus on what really matters: tackling deprivation and discrimination wherever they exist; and improving opportunities for all British citizens, whether they are of a Muslim faith or not.'
Mr Rafiq said a 'vague and non-statutory definition of Islamophobia' was 'deeply concerning' as the UK already had strong legislation to address hate crimes, discrimination, and incitement to violence, ensuring people were protected from bigotry.
'Introducing a broad, non-legally binding definition risks creating a chilling effect on free speech that could lead to confusion about what someone can and cannot say in our liberal democracy,' he said.
'There is a real danger that this term could be weaponised to silence legitimate debate, including discussions about Islamist extremism, which poses a threat to both Muslims and wider society,' said Mr Rafiq.
'No belief system, including Islam, should be beyond scrutiny, discussion, or even satire. True confidence in faith means being open to dialogue, not shutting it down.'
Ms Rayner's department said the working group would advise the Government on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims. It said it was finalising membership which would be announced in the coming days.
A spokesman said: 'The group's proposed definition must be compatible with the unchanging right of British citizens to exercise freedom of speech and expression – which includes the right to criticise, express dislike of, or insult religions and/or the beliefs and practices of adherents.'
The Tories warned a new definition risked creating a chilling effect on free speech.
'The Government risks enshrining a two-tier approach to free speech, with Islam immune from criticism or mockery,' said Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary.