The federal government has appointed former Conservative Legal professional Basic Dominic Grieve to guide a evaluate 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, mentioned he hoped the evaluate would “assist help optimistic change in our nation”.
Grieve mentioned: “We all know Islamophobia is as difficult to outline as its existence is undoubted.
“We have to steadiness addressing the lived expertise of those that are victims of it and the best of British Muslims to really feel heard and guarded as equal residents of our nation, with the unwavering requirement to take care of freedom of thought and expression below legislation for all.
“I’m hopeful that this fee will provide you with rules in defining Islamophobia that are suitable with these necessities and may thus assist help optimistic change in our nation.”
Any proposed definition will likely 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 Might, mentioned the prompt 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 report ranges final yr, in keeping with Inform Mama – which tracks Islamophobia.
Inform Mama confirmed nearly 6,000 experiences of anti-Muslim incidents – greater than double the quantity two years in the past.
Males had been focused greater than girls for the primary time because the physique was based in 2012.
In its report, the organisation mentioned 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 “steerage to authorities and different our bodies to help additional motion on tackling religiously motivated hate”.
Saying the brand new evaluate, Rayner mentioned: “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 an important step ahead in tackling it and making a society the place everybody feels secure and welcome.”
