In the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre, in which fifty worshippers were murdered by a man who subscribed to a series of conspiracy theories, many now understand that there is an urgent need to adopt and enforce a definition that addresses anti-Muslim hatred.
There is now a rush to sign up to the definition of Islamophobia published in November by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims. Unfortunately, that definition is not fit for purpose.
The authors of the report have taken the structure and content of IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism as their starting point and, in many places, done little more than cross out ‘Jew’ and insert ‘Muslim’ in its place.
Most forms of bigotry have some common characteristics but diverge significantly in their details and form. Homophobia doesn’t take the same form as anti-Black racism. Transphobia isn’t identical to misogyny. If you start out with a definition of antisemitism and try to apply it to the sort of hatred that Muslims face, you will miss the mark. [The Jewish Chronicle] Read more
