The UK government has launched a working group to review the definition of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia following a sharp rise in discrimination against British Muslims.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced the initiative, chaired by former Conservative minister Dominic Grieve, as part of efforts to combat increasing hate crimes.
The Labour Party had previously pledged to introduce a clear definition after the former Conservative government rejected a cross-party proposal in 2019.
Grieve, a former MP, will lead a 16-member committee tasked with defining anti-Muslim prejudice, aiming to balance legal principles, free speech, and the rights of British Muslims.
Grieve acknowledged the complexities in defining Islamophobia while stressing the importance of addressing the lived experiences of victims.
His previous work includes contributions to a 2018 report on Islamophobia by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims.
The move comes as reported hate crimes against Muslims in England and Wales continue to rise.
The UK’s Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) welcomed the initiative, praising Grieve’s long-standing engagement with British Muslim communities.
The MCB emphasised that the effectiveness of any definition will depend on its ability to protect Muslims from both individual discrimination and structural racism within institutions like the justice system, media, politics, and the workforce.
Despite strong support from Muslim organisations, several Conservative politicians have criticised the decision, arguing that defining Islamophobia could restrict free speech. Some have suggested using the term “anti-Muslim hatred” instead.
Critics claim that the definition may prevent legitimate criticism of Islamist extremism, despite the UK already having an accepted definition of antisemitism under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) framework.
The latest report from UK-based hate crime watchdog Tell MAMA highlighted record levels of anti-Muslim hate in 2024.
The group warned of a rise in rhetoric falsely linking Muslims to terrorism, particularly following events like the Southport murders and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
According to the report, over half of last year’s online Islamophobia incidents occurred after misinformation spread about the identity of the Southport attacker, sparking far-right rallies across the country.
Tell MAMA recorded 6,313 cases of anti-Muslim hate in 2024, a 43 percent increase from the previous year, with 5,837 reports verified.
The organisation has urged the government to take coordinated action to combat growing anti-Muslim sentiment both online and on the streets.
In response, a UK government spokesperson called the findings “extremely concerning” and reiterated the government’s commitment to tackling anti-Muslim hatred and racism across the country.
