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The wording of an official definition of Islamophobia has been rehashed, amid concerns about the impact it could have on free speech, according to reports.
A Government working group will aim to focus on defining “anti-Muslim hate” instead of Islamophobia, according to the Telegraph.
Critics of the efforts to create a new legal definition for Islamophobia had raised concerns that doing so could create backdoor blasphemy laws, and curtail speech about Islamic extremism.
Ministers launched the working group aimed at defining Islamophobia or anti-Muslim hatred in February, in an effort to help stem rising numbers of hate crimes against Muslims.
Former Conservative minister Dominic Grieve is leading the review. Credit: PA
The review of the definition, led by former Conservative minister Dominic Grieve, is said to have moved away from using the words “Islamophobia” and “Muslimness”, according to the Telegraph.
New wording will aim to define hatred towards Muslims, but also protect free speech, the newspaper said.
Crossbench peer Baroness Gohir, one of the experts on the working group, told the newspaper she expected the public to be “pleasantly surprised” when the review concludes.
Gohir, who is also chief executive of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, added: “I expect those who opposed the already existing definitions for being too vague, or because they felt these prevented criticism of Islam or debate of other issues of concern to them, will want ministers to adopt ours, as I believe it resolves those concerns.”
Figures released in early October found that religious hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales had reached a record high.
There were 7,164 such offences recorded by forces across the two nations – excluding the Metropolitan Police, due to a change in their crime recording system – in the year to March, up 3% from 6,973 in the previous 12 months.
This was the highest annual total of these offences recorded, the Home Office said.
Not including the Met, hate crimes targeted at Muslims were up by almost a fifth, from 2,690 offences recorded in the 12 months to March last year to 3,199 offences in the year ending March 2025.
The Home Office said there was a “clear spike in these offences in August 2024", which coincides with the Southport attacks and subsequent disorder across several English towns and cities.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it did not comment on leaks and was considering the working group’s recommendations.
When the working group was launched at the end of February, it said it aimed to deliver a new definition within six months.
The Telegraph said Communities Secretary Steve Reed has received the final wording of the new definition to make a decision on it.
A Government working group will aim to focus on defining “anti-Muslim hate” instead of Islamophobia, according to the Telegraph.
Critics of the efforts to create a new legal definition for Islamophobia had raised concerns that doing so could create backdoor blasphemy laws, and curtail speech about Islamic extremism.
Ministers launched the working group aimed at defining Islamophobia or anti-Muslim hatred in February, in an effort to help stem rising numbers of hate crimes against Muslims.
The review of the definition, led by former Conservative minister Dominic Grieve, is said to have moved away from using the words “Islamophobia” and “Muslimness”, according to the Telegraph.
New wording will aim to define hatred towards Muslims, but also protect free speech, the newspaper said.
Crossbench peer Baroness Gohir, one of the experts on the working group, told the newspaper she expected the public to be “pleasantly surprised” when the review concludes.
Gohir, who is also chief executive of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, added: “I expect those who opposed the already existing definitions for being too vague, or because they felt these prevented criticism of Islam or debate of other issues of concern to them, will want ministers to adopt ours, as I believe it resolves those concerns.”
Figures released in early October found that religious hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales had reached a record high.
There were 7,164 such offences recorded by forces across the two nations – excluding the Metropolitan Police, due to a change in their crime recording system – in the year to March, up 3% from 6,973 in the previous 12 months.
This was the highest annual total of these offences recorded, the Home Office said.
Not including the Met, hate crimes targeted at Muslims were up by almost a fifth, from 2,690 offences recorded in the 12 months to March last year to 3,199 offences in the year ending March 2025.
The Home Office said there was a “clear spike in these offences in August 2024", which coincides with the Southport attacks and subsequent disorder across several English towns and cities.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it did not comment on leaks and was considering the working group’s recommendations.
When the working group was launched at the end of February, it said it aimed to deliver a new definition within six months.
The Telegraph said Communities Secretary Steve Reed has received the final wording of the new definition to make a decision on it.
