The UK Labour Party government has introduced a new definition of "anti-Muslim hostility" instead of "Islamophobia". However, this definition is shaped by a working group whose members all have ties to Islamist organizations.

Details have emerged from the latest investigative report by the Free Speech Union, which highlights the connections of group members to the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and the Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) organization, with which governments have refused to cooperate since 2009 due to their extremist views.

One member posted a tweet supporting Hamas in 2014, while another defended the far-left, Islamist-supporting Respect Party, as noted by the Modernity news portal. According to the Free Speech Union’s latest report, all five members of the government-appointed working group tasked with defining „Islamophobia”—now referred to as „anti-Muslim hostility”—have concerning links to Islamist organizations.

As the Free Speech Union states: „In a free society, no religion should enjoy greater protection than others—and should not be shielded from legitimate criticism and challenge.” The FSU adds: „This group was filled with members who were already sympathetic to such a definition.”

Conservative MP Katie Lam expressed her views bluntly in a video response:

„The government’s new definition of ‘anti-Muslim hostility’ will make it harder to discuss Islamist extremism, female genital mutilation, and organized gangs. They would rather restrict our right to criticize than confront these issues. This endangers us all.”

Parliament abolished blasphemy laws in 2008. Yet, as the FSU warns: „This government risks reviving them through the back door, solely in the interests of Islam.”

All this comes just weeks after the government branded the Union flag a „tool of hate” in its social cohesion strategy, informing schools that children’s drawings could be deemed blasphemous under Islamic law. The pattern is clear:

Criticism of Islam is reframed as hostility, while real issues such as gangs committing sexual abuse, female genital mutilation, and Islamist extremism are pushed to the background.

— reports the Zero Hedge news portal.

The Government’s new ‘anti-Muslim hostility’ definition will make it harder to talk about Islamist extremism, FGM, and the grooming gangs.

They’d rather restrict our right to criticise than deal with these problems head-on.

It’s putting us all in danger. pic.twitter.com/KXGPRSaV9X

— Katie Lam (@Katie_Lam_MP) April 7, 2026