AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Nearly nine years after the United Kingdom adopted an official working definition of antisemitism, efforts to approve a comparable formal definition of Islamophobia have once again been delayed. This comes despite the Labour Party’s earlier support, while in opposition, for a definition proposed in 2018 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, a definition backed by hundreds of Islamic organizations, dozens of local authorities, and most political parties.
Following Labour’s victory in the June 2024 general election, the new government retreated from its previous position and, in March 2025, announced the formation of an independent task force chaired by prominent lawyer Dominic Grieve. The task force was mandated to present ministers with a new definition of Islamophobia, or what it termed “anti-Muslim hatred,” for consideration.
The task force’s final report was submitted to the government in early October 2025, yet the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government has so far declined to release it. In contrast, the BBC published a version of the proposed definition on 15 December, which two task force members described as accurate and credible. The definition highlights stereotyping, the racialization of Muslims, violence, and institutional discrimination, although it largely avoids the term “Islamophobia,” favoring “hostility toward Muslims.”
The Muslim Council of Britain and other civil society groups have criticized any attempt to dilute the proposed definition, calling for transparency and the full publication of the report. They argue that removing key concepts such as “racialization” would undermine effective efforts to combat discrimination.
At the same time, the UK government released its national action plan to tackle antisemitism on 17 December. A parallel plan to address Islamophobia had been expected but was suspended due to disagreements over an official definition, leaving its future uncertain.
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