Home Office officials sent a “call for evidence” to groups banned from engaging with the Government over extremism fears.
Groups including the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and Friends of Al-Aqsa were invited to feed into new laws on public order in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack.
The MCB was frozen out of formal engagement with the Government in 2009 after a senior figure was accused of supporting violence against Israel.
In spite of the MCB assuring the government that the senior figure’s views were personal to him only, it remains long-standing policy not to engage with the MCB, which represents more than 500 mosques, schools and charities.
The founder and chairman of Friends of Al-Aqsa has previously been criticised for praising Hamas.
Invitations were issued to the groups to give evidence to new review aimed at “protecting communities from hate and intimidation” in the wake of the attack on the Manchester synagogue on October 2 last year.
The Times reports former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord Macdonald, who is leading the review, has the discretion to approach anyone deemed necessary.
According to ministers, the review would look at whether existing laws are sufficient to protect communities from intimidation and hatred while safeguarding the right to protest and freedom of expression.
The review was called in the wake of the attack on the Manchester Synagogue
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Founder of Muslims Against Antisemitism Fiyaz Mughal told The Times: “It seems like the Government is saying one thing and doing another thing.
“While they claim to have upheld the notion of ‘no engagement’, this government-commissioned review has directly asked for evidence from two groups who have a questionable history.
“The Government must come clean about whether they still believe in the non-engagement policy.”
The MAB was described in 2024 by then Communities Secretary Michael Gove, as the UK affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, an international and complex network of Islamist organisations, something MAB has strongly denied.
The organisation suggested it was invited to submit evidence after it had been questioned why it had been excluded and accused politicians criticising its inclusion as being “driven more by political positioning than by principle”.
They added: “It is entirely proper for organisations and communities that will be directly affected by proposed changes to legislation to be consulted.”
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said the groups allegedly push ‘dangerous messages’
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GB NEWSShadow Equalities Minister Claire Coutinho told The Times: “The Government-commissioned review is actively consulting groups who were on the non-engagement list under the Conservatives because they push dangerous messages and have alleged links to extremist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
“These are groups who weaponised our equality laws to push radical and divisive ideology and then attacked anyone who spoke out.
“It is extremely concerning that the review is seeking advice from those who have actively fostered division.”
The founder of Friends of Al-Aqsa, Ismail Patel, was named in a government anti-extremism review as having “previously visited [then] Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, [and] been filmed in 2009 stating, ‘We salute Hamas for standing up to Israel’.”
GB News has contacted the MCB and the Friends of Al-Aqsa for a comment.
The Home Office said the law will protect freedom of speech
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GETTYA Home Office spokesman said: “Our laws must protect the public while safeguarding the rights to protest and to free speech.
“That is why the home secretary asked Lord Macdonald to lead an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation.
“Lawful protest and free speech are fundamental rights, but we cannot allow them to be abused to spread hate or cause disorder.
“The law must be fit for purpose and consistently applied.”
Housing Secretary Steve Reed dismissed concerns
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GB NEWSCommunities Secretary Steve Reed says backdoor blasphemy laws “will never happen” as ministers prepare to publish new guidance on anti-Muslim hatred.
Speaking to GB News Mr Reed said the new definition, formed by recommendations from a working group, would be published “very shortly.”
He said: “There will be no restrictions on the right to criticise a particular religion or religion in general on my watch…What we’ll do is look at how we can protect people from abuse that is extreme.”
Ministers launched the group, chaired by barrister and former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve, in February last year.
It is aimed at defining Islamophobia or anti-Muslim hatred in a way “which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims.”