UK GOVERNMENT ABANDONS OFFICIAL ISLAMOPHOBIA DEFINITION

Thu 18 December 2025:

Ex-Tory minister Dominic Grieve responsible for the definition change (Wikimedia Commons).

Critics argue that “anti‑Muslim hostility” emphasises extreme acts rather than the everyday, systemic prejudice that forms hatred and exclusion. They say the new definition could downplay the lived experience of Muslims facing discrimination.

The leaked draft reframes things in more neutral legal terms focused on hostility and criminal acts.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) wrote on X in reaction of the sudden change that it is “deeply concerned that the Government is considering watering down the suggested definition recommended by its own working group.”

The MBC suggested that “instead, they seem to be considering a definition that fails to reflect how Islamophobia actually operates in the lives of ordinary British Muslims.”

Islamophobia

Islamophobia has long been defined by many campaigners as prejudice or hostility specifically targeting Muslims or those perceived as Muslim.

The widely accepted 2019 definition by an all‑party parliamentary (APPG) group said it was “rooted in racism” and targeted “expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”

That definition was formally adopted by Labour in opposition, and supported by many British Muslim organisations.

It helped shape policy and awareness campaigns aimed at tackling anti‑Muslim prejudice in schools, workplaces and public services.

But the government’s new drafting process has moved away from the specific term Islamophobia in favour of broader wording that refers to anti‑Muslim hostility or anti‑Muslim hate.

Ministers argue this is to protect freedom of speech and expression, including the right to criticise religions.

A government source said any definition must protect the right to criticise or even mock religious beliefs.

Muslim advocates warn that focusing on general “hostility” fails to capture the racialised nature of anti‑Muslim discrimination, which targets cultural identity as well as religion.

Election calculus

The change comes at a sensitive time politically with the rise in popularity of far-right parties like Reform UK.

A YouGov tracker found Reform UK on around 27% support, ahead of Labour on about 24% in the figures from earlier this month.

Some activists see this shift as pandering to right‑wing political forces that have opposed the term Islamophobia.

Far‑right groups and commentators have seized on the debate, arguing that the term itself is used to suppress legitimate political debate and criticism of Islam.

They refer to the previous definition as a “backdoor anti-blasphemy law”.

But despite Labour’s attempt, the calculated definition change seems to be insufficient for the displeased hard-right

With Muslim communities arguing that Labour is sacrificing long‑term trust for short‑term political convenience, they fear that in distancing itself from language that recognises specific prejudice, the party risks alienating minority voters.