MPS criticised for rejecting new Islamophobia definition

MINISTERS faced a backlash yesterday over their decision to reject a definition of Islamophobia that a police chief warned could hamper the fight against terrorism.

The All-party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims has proposed that its definition of Islamophobia – backed by Labour and the Libdems – should be more widely adopted to tackle what it has called a “social evil”. The Government has, however, said the wording needed “further careful consideration” and had “not been broadly accepted”.

The definition says: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” Yesterday, during a parliamentary debate, Wes Streeting, co-chairman of the group, said: “I have watched with some amazement and even greater despair the Conservative Party making exactly the same mistakes over Islamophobia within their party as my party has with anti-semitism. The same miserable, inexcusable pattern of dismissal, denial and delegitimisation of serious concerns raised by prominent Muslims about racism.”

Earlier this week, it emerged Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, had written to the Prime Minister raising concerns that the definition was too vague and could “undermine many elements of counter-terrorism powers and policies”. He wrote that the term Islamophobic was “perhaps misleading in the context of hate crime … hate crime seeks to protect Muslims and not Islam”.

A leaked Whitehall memo reveals the Government’s equality advisers believe the proposed new definition is “not in line with the Equality Act”.