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The all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims has engaged lawyers on this matter and even former Attorney Generals have addressed it. There is no reason to doubt the expertise of legal professionals involved. Khan expressed concern about the lack of progress on defining Islamophobia over the past two years. He noted widespread support for a proposed definition and criticized the Conservative party's institutional failures in addressing Islamophobia, citing an increase in hate crimes against Muslims during the pandemic and a rise in extreme right-wing ideologies.
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Imran Hussain expressed deep frustration over the rise of Islamophobia, noting a 700% increase in reported incidents according to Tell MAMA. He highlighted the impact on Muslim individuals who face daily abuse and discrimination, and criticised public figures for promoting a false narrative that fuels islamophobic attitudes. Hussain intervened to agree with Oswald that freedom of speech does not give one the right to promote hatred or attack Muslims. He pointed out that Islamophobic tropes are increasing under the guise of freedom of speech.
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He supports the campaign for freedom of religion or belief, advocating that the Government should positively respond to ensure this right is extended to everyone in the UK.
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The hon. Member is concerned about the definition of Islamophobia and believes it should be legally actionable rather than non-binding. He criticises the use of 'phobia' in medical terms and suggests that anti-Muslim hatred should be more clearly defined to enable prosecution of those with racist tendencies towards Muslims.
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She noted the increase of 700% in Islamophobic incidents reported by Tell MAMA and called for the UK Government to adopt a definition of Islamophobia. She highlighted that women are disproportionately impacted by Islamophobia and stressed the importance of intersectionality between different equality groups. Oswald criticized the Prime Minister's comments about Muslim women looking like letterboxes, stating they contributed to hardships and should not have been made.
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The Government's failure to define Islamophobia adequately affects British Muslims negatively. Since 2019, the Government appointed only one nominal Islamophobia adviser and ignored a widely supported definition by Muslim organisations. The proposed definition does not hinder counter-terrorism efforts nor impede free speech, as experts claim. It would be wrong to comment on individual investigations, and the case mentioned does not concern the definition of Islamophobia. The hon. Friend also questioned about homophobia and transphobia. Asked whether the IHRA definition was accepted unanimously by everyone and requested examples regarding its legality from the Minister. Criticised the Government's stance on back-door blasphemy laws, pointing to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill as an example.
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Order. Will the hon. Lady sum up now? I remind the Minister to leave a couple of minutes at the end for Mr Bristow.
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Mr. Baker expressed pride in representing Wycombe, where about one-sixth of constituents are British Muslims. He highlighted the importance of deep integration and friendship between different faith communities, and called on the government to define anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia clearly without political exploitation. He also mentioned religious persecution around the world affecting both Christians and Muslims, urging respect for the dignity of Islamic identity. I acknowledged the contributions of Conservative and Labour Muslim councillors in my constituency, highlighting their important work.
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Language evolves over time, and even with existing laws in place, the definition of Islamophobia needs to be established. As a barrister, I support the need for this legal clarity. Islamophobia has been rising in the UK at a disturbing rate, threatening education, employment prospects, health, wellbeing, and housing for Muslims. Despite cross-party support for a definition of Islamophobia created by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, the Government have not adopted it. The Singh report found that Islamophobic incidents increased after Prime Minister's comments about burqas, highlighting the need for an action plan to tackle discrimination within the Conservative party. Far-right extremism poses a growing threat and is driving the rise of far-right movements in the UK, as indicated by a Hope Not Hate report showing that 35% of Britons view Islam as a threat to British life. Media reporting can reinforce stereotypes and contribute to discriminatory attitudes towards Muslims.
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Ms Zarah Sultana expressed her personal experience of Islamophobia and the hostile environment faced by Muslim women in public life. She highlighted numerous instances of abuse, including threats, racist language, and vilification in online spaces. Ms Sultana also pointed out how political rhetoric from positions of power contributes to the climate of fear for Muslims, citing examples such as Conservative MPs' responses to Islamophobia and the Prime Minister's mocking tone when addressing Muslim issues. She discussed the impact of policies like Prevent on civil liberties and the targeting of Muslims, emphasizing the historical context of the war on terror initiated after 9/11. Ms Sultana stressed that Islamophobia is intertwined with other forms of racism and discrimination, advocating for solidarity among different communities to combat these issues.