United Kingdom: the government clarifies its definition of anti-Muslim violence, without retaining the term “Islamophobia”

The British government is in the process of adopting an official definition of violence and discrimination targeting Muslims. Developed by a working group set up in February and sent to the authorities in the fall, the text is currently subject to consultation.

The proposed definition describes anti-Muslim hostility as all criminal acts — violence, vandalism, harassment or intimidation, including online — targeting Muslims or people perceived as such because of their religion, origin or appearance. It also includes the stigmatization and racialization of Muslims, reduced to a homogeneous group in order to fuel hatred, as well as institutional discrimination intended to disadvantage them in public or economic life.

Not legally binding, this definition should serve as a benchmark for public institutions to better identify and measure anti-Muslim acts. If some defenders of freedom of expression fear a restriction of the right to criticize Islam, the members of the working group say they have found a balance, protecting people without limiting the debate of ideas. The government, for its part, assures that it wants to fight against hatred while fully guaranteeing freedom of expression, in a context marked by a 19% increase in hate crimes targeting Muslims in the United Kingdom.