The federal government has appointed former Conservative Legal professional Common Dominic Grieve to steer a evaluation into creating a brand new definition of Islamophobia.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner launched a brand new working group tasked with understanding and defining hate crime focused towards Muslims.
Labour had promised a brand new definition, after the final Tory authorities rejected a cross-party proposal in 2019.
Critics warned the present definition is just too broad and will curb free speech.
Grieve, who served as Tory MP from 1997 to 2019, stated he hoped the evaluation would “assist help constructive change in our nation”.
Grieve stated: “We all know Islamophobia is as difficult to outline as its existence is undoubted.
“We have to stability addressing the lived expertise of those that are victims of it and the appropriate of British Muslims to really feel heard and guarded as equal residents of our nation, with the unwavering requirement to keep up freedom of thought and expression underneath legislation for all.
“I’m hopeful that this fee will provide you with ideas in defining Islamophobia that are suitable with these necessities and may thus assist help constructive change in our nation.”
Any proposed definition shall be non-statutory however will information the federal government and others on discrimination towards Muslims.
The All-Social gathering Parliamentary Group on British Muslims proposed a brand new definition of Islamophobia in 2019.
The federal government, led by former Prime Minister Theresa Could, stated the steered definition had “not been broadly accepted” and the matter wanted “additional cautious consideration”.
The problem has been picked up by the Labour authorities following an increase in reported incidents of anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales.
Anti-Muslim hate within the UK surged to file ranges final 12 months, in line with Inform Mama – which tracks Islamophobia.
Inform Mama confirmed virtually 6,000 stories of anti-Muslim incidents – greater than double the quantity two years in the past.
Males have been focused greater than girls for the primary time because the physique was based in 2012.
In its report, the organisation stated there had been a “surge in rhetoric that falsely portrays Muslims as terrorists or terrorist sympathisers” following the Israel-Gaza battle and Southport murders.
The brand new working group led by Grieve will present “steering to authorities and different our bodies to help additional motion on tackling religiously motivated hate”.
Asserting the brand new evaluation, Rayner stated: “The rise in anti-Muslim hate crime is unacceptable and has no place in our society.
“That is why we have dedicated to defining Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, as a vital step ahead in tackling it and making a society the place everybody feels secure and welcome.”
