LONDON – Britain has introduced a new advisory definition of what it terms anti-Muslim hostility, a long-awaited step intended to guide authorities in identifying and addressing abuse against Muslims, which has reached record levels.
The announcement comes after years of political stalemate over how to define anti-Muslim hatred in a way that ensures consistent enforcement of the law without restricting open discussion about extremism, Reuters reported.
Nearly 4,500 hate crimes targeting Muslims were recorded in the year ending March 2025, making up almost half of all religiously motivated offences in England and Wales. The figures also include individuals mistakenly believed to be Muslim.
The new definition, which carries no legal force, covers criminal behaviour such as violence, vandalism, harassment, intimidation and prejudicial stereotyping directed at Muslims or those perceived to be Muslim.
The government said the definition was necessary to shield people from hostile conduct intended to intimidate or sow division, while emphasising that protections for free expression remain unchanged.
Opposition lawmakers warned that the definition could amount to a de facto blasphemy law and blur the distinction between legitimate critique of religious ideas and unlawful hate speech.
Muslim, Jewish and humanist organisations called the definition a constructive development that could help institutions respond more consistently to abuse, provided it is applied carefully and without limiting free expression.
