by David Barrett, Daily Mail
Labour’s plan to rebrand ‘Islamophobia’ as ‘anti-Muslim hostility’ in an official government definition is ‘more dangerous’ and risks ‘thought control‘, it has been warned.
The Government is set to scrap its Islamophobia definition in favour of the new phrase in a bid to head off claims that it is creating a blasphemy law by the back door.
But the move risks creating an even broader term, a report by the think-tank Policy Exchange said.
It could then be exploited by some Muslim groups seeking to influence political debate on issues such as immigration and counter-terrorism, the paper suggested.
Free speech campaigners have argued that special protections for the Muslim faith would prevent legitimate criticism of the religion and risk creating a de facto blasphemy law.
The new report, published today, warned: ‘A definition of “anti-Muslim hostility” is, in fact, at least as broad and dangerous as one of “Islamophobia”, possibly more so.
‘And because the term lacks (for now) the same negative political connotations, it is also more deployable by activist groups.
‘The dictionary definition of “hostility” includes “not liking” something, “not agreeing” with it or being “opposed” to it.’
Read also: Next Labour U-turn should be on defining Islamophobia, The Times