 "Why is UK setting up an Islamophobia Council, not one to look at all hatred?")
Hindu groups have raised concerns over the setting up of an Islamophobia Council in the UK, saying that the council should not focus solely on Islamophobia but also address hatred against all religions.
According to a Time of India report, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner intends to establish a 16-member council to develop an official government definition of anti-Muslim discrimination and offer guidance to ministers on effective strategies to address it.
British Hindus are concerned that a new definition of Islamophobia could stifle legitimate criticism of Islam, potentially resulting in de facto blasphemy laws and curtailing free speech, added the report.
Former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve, who wrote the foreword to the 2018 APPG report on British Muslims that outlined a definition of Islamophobia adopted by the Labour Party, is likely to lead the new advisory council.
According to the report, Insight UK, a British Hindu diaspora group, released a statement urging that the council be expanded to encompass all faiths and be renamed the “religious hate crime prevention council.”
They called for the council to address all forms of religious hatred, including the increasing incidents of anti-Hindu and anti-Sikh hate crimes, added the report.
“The selective focus on protecting one religious group over others disregards the historical injustices, threats, and discrimination faced by Hindus and other communities,” ToI quoted Dipen Rajyaguru, director of diversity & equality at Hindu Council UK, as saying.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Hindu Council UK has long advocated for the recognition of ‘Hindumisia’, a term that better captures the hatred directed at Hindus.
Rajyaguru said that “Hindutva”, which refers to Hindu-ness or the essence of Hinduism, has frequently been misrepresented and distorted to equate it with Hindu extremism.
“The weaponisation of terminology to malign an entire religious identity is deeply troubling,” he was quoted as saying.
He also raised fears about suppression of free speech.
“The introduction of a definition of Islamophobia that equates criticism of religious doctrines with racial hatred sets a dangerous precedent. It risks serving as a gateway to de facto blasphemy laws, curtailing legitimate discussions about religion, ideology, and policy,” he said.
A ministry of housing, communities & local govt spokesperson said, “No blasphemy laws will be introduced by this government. We are firmly committed to tackling all forms of hatred and division, including the unacceptable rise in anti-Muslim hatred. Any new definition of Islamophobia must be given careful consideration, acknowledging British citizens’ unchanging right to freedom of speech.”
With inputs from agencies
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