Angela Rayner creates Islamophobia council amid 'Orwellian' freedom of speech fears

Angela Rayner is reportedly readying to make councils connected Islamophobia and anti-Semitism (Image: Getty)

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is readying to make a 16-person Islamophobia assembly to assistance gully up caller rules connected anti-Muslim discrimination.

The Government is calling for a caller authoritative explanation of Islamophobia successful enactment with the Labour Party's adopted knowing of the prejudice arsenic "a benignant of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness oregon perceived Muslimness".

The definition, which was based connected a study from an all-party parliamentary radical successful 2018, has been criticised by escaped code campaigners for discouraging just disapproval of Islamic religion.

Ms Rayner is readying make a caller authorization led by ex-Tory lawyer wide Dominic Grieves, who co-chaired the Citizens' UK Commission connected Islam and wrote the foreword to the 2018 study to counsel connected a caller explanation and assistance ministers to tackle Islamophobia, sources told The Telegraph.

Among shortlisted candidates for the assembly is Imam Qari Asim, a erstwhile Government advisor who was removed from station by the Conservatives aft calling for a prohibition of a movie depicting Prophet Mohammed's daughter.

The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities called the protests against The Lady of Heaven "a run to bounds escaped expression" and "encourage communal tensions".

However, oppositionary politicians person warned that adopting the explanation would hazard expressing “an Orwellian disregard for state of speech” successful the UK.

Shadow justness caput Robert Jenrick added: “The Government should driblet its plans for specified a profoundly flawed explanation of Islamphobia. Of people we should tackle anti-Muslim hatred wherever it occurs, but this explanation is simply a Trojan equine for a blasphemy instrumentality protecting Islam.”

Mr Grieve, who was a stringent campaigner against Brexit, was stripped of the Conservative whip by Boris Johnson successful 2019 aft rebelling connected the deal’s legislation. He mislaid his spot aft lasting arsenic an autarkic successful that year’s wide election.

In a foreword to the all-party report, the erstwhile MP described its findings and explanation arsenic “an important publication to the statement arsenic to however Islamophobia tin champion beryllium addressed”.

“If I tin beryllium of assistance successful doing thing constructive requested by immoderate authorities connected a non-party governmental basis, I americium consenting to see it,” Mr Grieve told The Telegraph.

“It was evident astatine the clip that defining Islamophobia is highly hard for perfectly valid reasons relating to state of expression, [however,] perfectly law-abiding Muslims going astir their concern and well-integrated into nine are suffering favoritism and abuse.”

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss besides deed retired astatine the proposal, dubbing it “yet different effort by the Government to suppress escaped code alternatively than bring those who covered up the rape gangs to justice”.

The Government has rejected plans for a nationalist enquiry into grooming gangs successful favour of locally-led reviews and a absorption connected implementing the findings of a 2022 study compiled by British world Professor Alexis Jay.

The lawman PM is besides reportedly readying to make a assembly connected anti-Semitism.

Before stepping down from her relation arsenic secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain past month, Zara Mohammed warned of a “deeply challenging” planetary clime for Muslims, pointing to “hostile and disgusting vitriol” connected Elon Musk’s societal media level X.

“Using kid grooming to politicise and… marque 1 assemblage look truly barbaric [has made us] truly worried,” she told the PA News Agency.

“On 1 manus we’re making large progress, we’re much integrated, you know, but astatine the aforesaid clip we’re being treated arsenic a information and migration issue. I deliberation the authorities and the nationalist communicative of belonging is truly successful a atrocious juxtaposition.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “All forms of spiritual and radical hatred person perfectly nary spot successful our society. The Government engages regularly with religion communities to assistance foster beardown moving relationships and we are actively exploring a much integrated and cohesive attack to tackling radical and spiritual hatred, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Further details of this enactment volition beryllium acceptable retired shortly.”