Free speech: Britain ‘faces social unrest’ if Labour pursues Islamophobia definition
Britain may face social upheaval and deepening perceptions of a “two-tier society” if Labour persists with plans to create a formal definition of Islamophobia, the head of an advocacy group has warned.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has formed a group to advise the Government on “appropriate and sensitive language” to use when discussing “unacceptable treatment, prejudice and discrimination against Muslims”.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has formed a group to advise the Government on ‘appropriate and sensitive language’
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Mr Mughal, who has named the campaign Keep the Law Equal, said he believes a formal definition of Islamophobia may have a “chilling” impact on freedom of speech in Britain and push through a “blasphemy law by the back door”.
The campaign group leader has expressed concerns that the definition will be adopted by public bodies such as the police and prosecutors, and that criticisms of any aspects of the Islamic faith would effectively be an offence.
He noted that it could have a negative impact on public debate surrounding ethnicities of the grooming gang scandal perpetrators and curtail debates involving Britain’s sharia courts and the niqab.
Mr Mughal said: “We are seeing a sense of people being very unhappy about two-tier application of the law, two-tier society.
Mr Mughal said he believes a formal definition of Islamophobia may have a ‘chilling’ impact on freedom of speech in Britain
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He added: “It creates a sense of a deeply chilling effect, where people are scared to raise things about religion, which can be used against them, and where digital traces can be placed online that are difficult to remove.
“It creates a vastly, deeply problematic element of a chilling effect in society.
“Defence and prosecutors, defence solicitors and prosecutors could use this in legal argument.”
Tensions remain high in the aftermath of Baroness Casey’s independent review findings, which uncovered that the ethnicity of offenders involved in the grooming gang scandal was “shied away from” by authorities.
Tensions remain high in the aftermath of Baroness Casey’s independent review findings
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The review noted that disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds were responsible for child sex grooming gangs.
The Tell Mama founder said: “This is an issue where we can say we need to look at what kind of cultural elements have brought about actions against young girls.
“Now even a simple statement like that could be twisted to suggest that actually this is an attack on my identity, that you’re suggesting that all Muslims are groomers and paedophiles.”
A spokesman for Ms Rayner’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government department said: “We are absolutely committed to defending freedom of speech, and any proposed definition must be compatible with the right to freedom of speech and expression.
“The independent working group has been engaging extensively with a wide range of communities and will provide independent, evidence-based advice to ministers.”
