Camilla Long is correct to stand up for the right to speak freely about those aspects of Islam that some find misogynistic (“I’ll always see the veil as a form of misogyny and it’s not Islamophobic to say as much”, Comment, last week).
The adoption of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims’ vague definition of Islamophobia, under which anyone who criticises “expressions of Muslimness” could be accused of a form of racism, would have a chilling effect on free expression.
Anti-Muslim bigotry must be taken seriously, and British Muslims are as entitled as anyone to live their lives free from harm and abuse. But this definition shields Islamic beliefs and practices from criticism.
Its adoption would drive important debates underground and accelerate the normalisation of blasphemy taboos, harming social cohesion in the process. The government is right to reject it. [The Times (£)] Read more
