Islamophobia definition threatens free speech – claim

It has emerged that senior Labour Party members have instructed Labour council leaders to adopt a wide-ranging definition of Islamophobia – a definition likened to an ‘Islamic blasphemy code’. Christian Concern has claimed that if Labour takes power, discussion and criticism of Islam would be prohibited across the UK.

The July 2021 letter reveals Labour’s determination to implement recommendations set out in a report from the Labour Muslim Network. This included the adoption, by all Labour councils, of the definition of Islamophobia proposed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims.

It defines Islamophobia as ‘rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness’. The definition could capture all the different forms of Islamophobia that may otherwise go unnoticed – including socio-political and economic exclusion.