A report by a former head of antiterrorism at Scotland Yard says that terrorist plots are more likely to succeed if Theresa May adopts a new definition of Islamophobia.
Richard Walton says that the police, security services, prosecutors, judges and prisons would be labelled “institutionally Islamophobic” if the government bowed to pressure from MPs to broaden the meaning of racism to include anyone targeting “Muslimness”.
The power to prosecute hate preachers such as Anjem Choudary for encouraging support for Islamic State would be adversely affected, the report claims. The government is being urged to adopt a definition proposed by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, which says: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” [The Times (£)] Read more
