Government plans to define Islamophobia risk shutting down free speech, a Labour Peer has warned.
In an interview with Politics Home, Lord Glasman urged the Prime Minister not to introduce an Islamophobia definition; a working group set up to agree suitable wording has already been widely criticised.
The Labour Party’s current definition, which has been critiqued for being too broad, claims: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”
Fundamental liberty
Lord Glasman said: “People should be free to explore, criticise aspects of religion. As far as I can see, in this Islamophobia definition, it could be illegal to criticise Islam”.
He added: “It’s madness to bring in a new law which limits what can be said.”
The Peer went on to say: “It’s a matter of freedom to explore publicly sceptical thoughts about religion. That’s fundamental to our liberty.”
Unnecessary
Last month, a further 36 members of the House of Lords said the attempt to create an Islamophobia definition was “misguided”, that it would only divide communities, and called for it be scrapped.
In a letter signed by the Peers, they warned that although the definition would be non-statutory, it would still have consequences, particularly in universities.
The letter stated: “defining ‘Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred’ and urging universities to prohibit it will inevitably inhibit legitimate academic research about Islam.”
As well as the threat to free speech, the Peers also argued that a definition is unnecessary as “there are already laws on the statute books that protect Muslims and other racial and religious groups from hatred and discrimination”.
Undermining debate
In response to the Islamophobia Working Group’s Call for Evidence, The Christian Institute explained: “A new term risks confusing criticism of Islam as a religion – a democratic right – with hostility to Muslims as people. This confusion is most explicit with the term Islamophobia.”
The Institute continued: “Formally embracing a concept of ‘cultural racism’ risks threatening the freedom to criticise aspects of Islamic culture. A member of an organisation that has signed up to this kind of definition could be disciplined for Islamophobia if they criticise mandatory female head coverings or suggest that UK law is preferable to sharia law.
“Free speech protections are afforded for discussion and criticism of religion under section 29J of the Public Order Act, which do not apply to race. If defined as a race, Islam could therefore receive special protection from criticism, thereby undermining healthy debate and democratic discussion.”
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