UK:The dangers of banning ‘ISLAMOPHOBIA’

#Culture
UK:The dangers of banning ‘ISLAMOPHOBIA’

Loveworld / 2 hours

April 19, 2024

2 min read

In the UK, there is an on-going debate over the definition of Islamophobia. The definition of Islamophobia, put forward by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2018, has now been adopted by one in seven local authorities in England. It is likely to be taken up by more, particularly if the Labour Party wins the next General Election.
After all, Labour has itself adopted the definition for internal party matters. This is all happening despite the UK government’s refusal to adopt the definition, which it describes as ‘not fit for purpose.’ The All-Party Parliamentary Group definition is as follows: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”
The problem with such a broad definition is that it can be invoked to shut down legitimate criticism of Islam as a religion, not just unacceptable prejudice towards Muslim people. As is the case with those who don’t see anything wrong with such laws, the authors of the All- Party Parliamentary Group report dismissed “the supposed right to criticise Islam” as “nothing more than another subtle form of anti-Muslim racism.” In this way, a well-meaning effort to protect Muslim people from abuse ends stifling debate about almost anything connected to Islam.
Teaching about the spread of Islam historically through war and conquest, criticisms of Islamic practices around women’s rights—particularly those made by ex-Muslims—and press coverage of Islamist terror attacks all have the potential to be labeled ‘Islamophobic,’ according to the suggested definition. No other religion is granted this degree of protection in the UK. The definition of ‘Islamophobia’ in the APPG’s report is so broad that, among other things, it means anyone disputing Hamas’s description of Israel’s military operation in Gaza as a ‘genocide’ is guilty of hate speech.