AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Criticism has mounted following a letter sent by the Hindu Council UK (HCUK) to the country’s communities secretary regarding the government’s approach to defining Islamophobia.
The organization, founded in 1994, recently warned against adopting an official definition of Islamophobia, arguing that such a move could restrict freedom of expression, lead to the reintroduction of blasphemy laws, and suppress criticism of Islam.
In response, several activists and civil society organizations, including Hindus for Human Rights UK (HfHR UK), challenged the council’s position and accused it of attempting to shape or control public discourse on Islamophobia. These groups contend that members of the Hindu Council UK’s leadership have a record of making inflammatory and anti-Muslim statements.
According to reports, Anil Bhanot, the council’s founder and managing trustee, previously published social media posts describing Islam as a “religion of violence” and claiming that “Hinduism is the father of all religions” and that Islam is a “bad copy.” Those posts were later deleted.
British media have reported that in 2024, Bhanot was stripped of his OBE honor for what was described as “bringing the honors system into disrepute.” He defended his remarks at the time, framing them as an exercise of free speech.
Meanwhile, an academic study titled Seeing the Sangh has examined the global network of organizations associated with Hindutva, an ideology centered on Hindu nationalism, alleging that thousands of groups worldwide are linked to the movement, including dozens active in the United Kingdom.
Critics argue that some groups aligned with this ideology have, in recent years, sought to present themselves as representatives of the entire British Hindu community, a claim rejected by progressive Hindu organizations. They stress that Britain’s more than one million Hindus are diverse and that the views of a single organization cannot be generalized to the whole population.
The media dispute intensified after a mainstream British newspaper ran a headline stating, “Hindus warn Labour over Islamophobia definition,” prominently featuring the Hindu Council UK’s position. Critics said the headline and framing overlooked the diversity of opinion within the broader Hindu community.
In a joint statement, five civil society organizations, including Hindus for Human Rights UK, responded to the Hindu Council UK’s letter, emphasizing that combating hate speech and discrimination requires inclusive dialogue and diverse representation from faith communities. They also warned against what they described as attempts to monopolize the representation of British Hindus.
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