With hate crimes against Muslims at a record high, a new parliamentary Islamophobia working group and anti-Muslim hatred has been formed to pin down a definition of the prejudice, writes Maira Butt for the Religion Media Centre.
Led by Dominic Grieve KC, who served as attorney-general from 2010 to 2014, the Islamophobia working group comprises “representatives from Muslim communities, independent experts, and academics” according to the UK government website, which also set out the terms of reference of the Islamophobia working group.
It also includes Professor Javed Khan, managing director of the Equi think tank; Baroness Gohir, chief executive of Muslim Women’s Network UK; Akeela Ahmed, co-chair of the newly launched British Muslim Network; and independent consultant Asha Affi.
For many it is a long-awaited piece of work that will improve the lives of British Muslims, enhance community cohesion, and allow the challenges and obstacles faced by the community to be seen and acknowledged.
However, the proposal of a new definition has drawn criticism from some who believe it will afford Muslims special protections. Others, such as Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, suggest the working group could lead to a definition akin to a blasphemy law and restrict free speech.
The IRU responds to the Islamophobia working group
Majid Iqbal, chief executive of the charity the Islamophobia Response Unit, told the RMC that the continuing use of Islamophobia as a term, as opposed to “anti-Muslim hatred”, was of paramount importance.
Taking away the reference to ‘phobia’ — a strong dislike, aversion to or fear of — would remove the idea encapsulated by the term ‘Islamophobia’, Mr Iqbal said. He suggested that the irrational part of the definition – that fear is irrational – was crucial, comparing it to instances of transphobia or homophobia.
“A hate crime is a completely different set of circumstances. It is included within Islamophobia. But anti-Muslim hate doesn’t deal with the structural, systemic and institutional discrimination.”
The Conservative MP Nick Timothy is against the idea of defining Islamophobia, saying it is a damaging “threat to our freedom of expression”, and he has been urging people to write in to the consultation to share this view.
Mr Iqbal says that fears of the definition restricting free speech are unfounded as the working group seeks to define a non-statutory definition of the discrimination faced by Muslims. “It can’t restrict free speech, because it’s not a legally enforceable definition. How can something non-legal have an effect legally?”
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