In February 2025 the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced the convening of a working group chaired by Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC to provide a definition of Islamophobia. She insisted that the definition would be non-statutory and align with the UK’s values of free expression, including the right to criticise a religion. Nevertheless, this action raises several concerns.
While it can initially appear to be a useful tool for defining acts of religious hatred and incitement, in reality phobia terminology tends to hinder rather than assist efforts to address religion-related violations.
It is imprecise, and is invariably used to shut down legitimate debate. Additionally, discussion about whether or not a given phobia is indeed occurring can often eclipse efforts to highlight and address the actual violations.
Continue reading “The UK government’s efforts to produce a definition of Islamophobia could prove counterproductive “