Politics
Government scraps planned Islamophobia definition after ‘blasphemy law’ backlash
Their new definition substitutes the term “Islamophobia” with “anti-Muslim hate”
October 20, 2025 10:30
Their new definition substitutes the term “Islamophobia” with “anti-Muslim hate”
October 20, 2025 10:30The government has scrapped its planned new definition of Islamophobia after critics raised concerns about free speech and the potential that it would bring about de facto “blasphemy laws”.
The new definition, which has been drawn up by an internal Labour Party working group, substitutes the term “Islamophobia” with “anti-Muslim hate”, and removes all references to “Muslimness”.
The previous version, which was drafted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims led by former Conservative minister Dominic Grieve, stated: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”
The aim of the new definition, which has been submitted to Communities Secretary Steve Reed for final approval, is to clearly define hatred towards Muslims while protecting criticism of Islam and Islamist extremism.
Mr Reed previously told the Telegraph: “I’m not going to bring in blasphemy laws by the back door”.
Meanwhile, the shadow minister for equalities, Claire Coutinho MP, told The Telegraph: “In the weeks after an Islamic terror attack that saw two Jewish people killed, and just after several... MPs campaigned to ban Israeli football fans from Aston Villa, we need to acknowledge that this definition risks having a chilling impact on our public sector bodies at exactly the wrong time.
“The whole process has been characterised by secrecy. They’ve tried to cook this up behind closed doors with radical activists... They must publish this proposed definition and the responses from the public consultation they were forced into.
“Anti-Muslim hatred, like any form of hate, has no place in Britain. However, we cannot silence legitimate debate.”
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