Today, Sir Keir Starmer appeared to back a new Islamophobia definition.
The Independent MP for Leicester Shockat Adam said this in Parliament: “No religion, no theology, no philosophy is beyond critique or scrutiny and we must protect freedom of speech at all costs.
“But Islamophobia is real, at least for Zainab Hussain in my city, who was run over not just once but twice, simply for being a muslim, she survived.
“Not so lucky was Akram Ali, who was killed outside Finsbury Mosque simply for being Muslim. Not so lucky was Mohammad Saleem, who was stabbed to death simply for being a Muslim.
“I would like to ask the Prime Minister that, in opposition, that a definition of Islamophobia was adopted. In Government, it has been dropped. Can I ask what’s changed?
And here is what the Prime Minister said in response: “Can I thank him for raising those examples of hatred in his constituency and his right to raise them?
“And we should all condemn them. Hatred in all its forms should be condemned by all of us in this House, and that includes anti-Muslim hatred as well, and we intend to act on it.”
Well, it is interesting that Adam wants to clamp down on Islamophobia so much. Adam was previously the chair of the Leicester branch of the Muslim engagement and development group Mend, it is called.
GB News presenter Patrick Christys shared his opinion on the Prime Minister’s promise to act on Islamophobia
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GB NEWS
He also reportedly fundraised for the group now in March 2020 for the then Community Secretary Michael Gove named Mend as an “Islamist extremist organisation” when outlining a new government definition of extremism.
The key problem with the new Islamophobia definition is what will it actually be? Now, the one floated at the moment seems to be by the all-party parliamentary group.
“Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslim-ness or perceived Muslim-ness.”
So what does that mean in practice?
Well, on this show, I recently reported on an academic report linking teachings in the Koran to the rape gang scandal that saw thousands of predominantly white, working class girls raped and abused. Would that be Islamophobic?
Keir Starmer responded to a question about Islamophobia during PMQs on Wednesday
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PA
What about reporting on why we need bollards and armed police at Christmas markets? Would that be Islamophobic?
Is it Islamophobic to say that? I think it’s a bit rum that Muslims walk through a Christmas market in Germany shouting about Allah?
What about being critical of issues like female genital mutilation, cousin marriage and forced marriage?
Things that are prominent in the Muslim community? What about raising questions about whether or not the Muslim community is given special treatment by the police?
And we remember the time that West Midlands Police met with members of the Muslim community to discuss how they wanted to be policed during the summer disorder.
Would I be criticised as that for Islamophobic, would I? Shockat Adam MP rattled off a few cases where people had sadly been killed in racist attacks because they were Muslim and that, of course, is absolutely awful, is deplorable and wrong.
But we can’t ignore the fact that hundreds more people have been killed or wounded by radical Islamists in Britain.
And I worry that by introducing a new definition of Islamophobia, it would just make it really easy for people like me to be labelled as an Islamophobic.
And if I’m an Islamophobic, then that puts my life at risk, doesn’t it? Why? Because of radical Islam.
But would I even be allowed to say that anymore? Or would that be Islamophobic too?