by Stefan Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
LONDON (Worthy News) – British Christian leaders and politicians fear a new working group advising the government on “anti-Muslim hatred /Islamophobia” will lead to blasphemy legislation that would further limit freedom of expression.
In a statement obtained by Worthy News, Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, said that the “rise in anti-Muslim hate crime is unacceptable and has no place in our society. That’s why we’ve committed to defining Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia as a crucial step forward in tackling it and creating a society where everyone feels safe and welcome.”
However, David Alton, who chairs Britain’s Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, warned against pursuing any semblance of blasphemy laws in the country.
“The U.K. should tread very carefully before incorporating anything which resembles a blasphemy law into British Statute,” Alton said in published remarks.
“In jurisdictions which have such laws, I have personally seen how they can be misused against people of other beliefs or no belief – including death sentences and long-term imprisonment.”
It was a reference to countries such as Pakistan and Iran, where Christians and others have languished in prisons for years for alleged blasphemy against Islam while some have been killed.
Danny Webster, director of advocacy for the U.K. Evangelical Alliance, said Islamophobia should be set within the broader, legal understanding of the freedom to disagree with those of other faiths.
ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED
“Any definition of anti-Muslim hatred, or Islamophobia, has to safeguard the freedom of others to criticize religious belief and support the freedom for people to change their beliefs,” Webster stressed.
If a definition of Islamophobia means that views about perceived identity can be subjectively classed as “hatred,” then this would limit freedom of expression and religious belief, he stressed.
“It is vital that we encourage good relationships between people of different faiths, and this is fostered by accepting deep differences and allowing free expression, rather than either criminalizing disagreement or pretending it doesn’t exist,” Webster added.
The advisory group’s chair, Dominic Grieve KC, admitted in a statement seen by Worthy News that “Islamophobia is as challenging to define as its existence is undoubted.”
However, he stressed, “We need to balance addressing the lived experience of those who are victims of it and the right of British Muslims to feel heard and protected as equal citizens of our country.”
He added that these rights should be “with the unwavering requirement to maintain freedom of thought and expression under law for all. I welcome the government’s decision to bring forward this needed work. And I am hopeful that this commission will come up with principles in defining Islamophobia which are compatible with those requirements and can thus help support positive change in our country.”
The government suggested that the advisory group is needed as in the year ending March 2024, “there were 140,561 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales,” although that was a “5 percent decrease compared with the previous year.”
Yet Alton called it a “ploy” to introduce blasphemy laws that Christians fear could lead to persecution of non-Muslims in Britain and beyond.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Thousands of Jewish worshipers ascended the Temple Mount on Tisha B’Av, turning the solemn fast over the destruction of the biblical Temples into a striking display of renewed Jewish prayer at the contested holy site. The scenes underscored a profound shift now unfolding in Jerusalem, where mourning over the Temples’ destruction is increasingly joined by open calls for restored Jewish worship—and, among a growing number of activists, the rebuilding of the Temple itself.
Christians have expressed fresh concern over the safety of Syria’s religious minorities after an Alawite mother and her two young children were reportedly shot dead in the central city of Homs in an attack that has raised fresh fears of sectarian violence.
Christian missionaries told Worthy News Wednesday that their “pregnancy support ministry” in Jordan has helped nearly 200 pregnant refugee women and girls over the past year despite war, displacement and, in some cases, pressure to abort their unborn children.
Outspoken Christians and other government critics are expected to face mounting pressure after Nicaragua’s long-serving President Daniel Ortega said the Central American nation will no longer hold elections, eliminating any possibility of an electoral challenge when his current term ends next year and further consolidating the power he shares with his wife, Rosario Murillo.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced Thursday a sweeping anti-corruption drive targeting projects approved under the previous administration led by Viktor Orbán, saying the government had filed criminal complaints over projects worth about $3.2 billion while vowing not to increase security after being spat on by a passerby earlier this week.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he is nearing a decision on whether to launch a “massive attack” against Iran, warning that Tehran has not suffered enough pressure to abandon its attacks on international shipping and return to serious negotiations.
President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Senate Republicans to advance legislation requiring voters to show photo identification and provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote.