Faith Leaders Raise Alarm Over UK Anti-Muslim Hatred Definition
UK Christian and Hindu leaders warn that a proposed government definition of anti-Muslim hatred could curb free speech and blur the line between criticism of religion and hostility toward individuals.
LONDON — Christian and Hindu leaders in the U.K. have expressed serious concern over the government’s proposed definition of “anti-Muslim hatred,” warning it could threaten religious freedom and free speech. The plan, building on a 2018 APPG definition that labeled Islamophobia as a form of racism, would replace the term “Islamophobia” with “Anti-Muslim Hatred or Hostility” in official guidance for public bodies, councils, and businesses.
Alicia Edmund of the U.K. Evangelical Alliance emphasized that sharing Christian beliefs is not hate speech and called for a clear distinction between criticism of ideas and hostility toward individuals. Similarly, Dipen Rajyaguru of the Hindu Council U.K. criticized the draft as “deeply flawed,” noting that vague terms like “prejudicial stereotyping” and “racialisation of Muslims” could chill theological debate and critical discussion.
Both leaders urged the government to focus on actual violence and harassment, cautioning that overly broad definitions risk suppressing lawful speech, undermining equality before the law, and creating a “de facto blasphemy framework.”
Previously, the UOJ reported that a Muslim schoolboy in Uganda killed his brother for converting to Christianity.
