Labour scraps Islamophobia definition amid fears it could threaten free speech

The party has adopted new wording defining 'anti-Muslim hate'
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Labour has scrapped its Islamophobia definition with fears it could threaten free speech.
A working group has formulated new wording that will replace the controversial definition, adopted in 2019, changing the term "Islamophobia" with "anti-Muslim hate".
It will remove all "Muslimness" references, according to The Telegraph.
The Labour Party incorporated an Islamophobia definition into its code of conduct for party members when it was in opposition.
Critics feared the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)'s wording on British Muslims was too broad.
Concerns were also held on it amounting to a "blasphemy law".
Former Conservative Minister Dominic Grieve led the review and a source familiar with it confirmed to The Telegraph that neither "Islamophobia" nor "Muslimness" appeared in the new verson.
It is understood the definition is now before ministers.
The new definition won't include Islamophobia or Muslimness
| GETTYThe new wording has been drawn up with the aim of defining hatred towards Muslims while also protecting free speech, it is understood.
The wording seems to be an attempt to ease concerns from those who feared an official definition could restrict discussions of Islamist extremist.
Those concerns extended to legitimate criticism of Islam.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed has received the new definition for a final decision.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
Steve Reed has received new definition
| PAThe minister previously said he would reject any wording which impacted free expression.
He said: "I'm not going to bring in blasphemy laws by the back door".
Shadow Equalities Minister Claire Coutinho MP spoke on the recent "Islamic terror attack".
"In the weeks after an Islamic terror attack that saw two Jewish people killed, and just after Muslim Vote MPs campaigned to ban Israeli football fans from Aston Villa, we need to acknowledge that this definition risks having a chilling impact on our public sector bodies at exactly the wrong time," she added.
"The whole process has been characterised by secrecy."
Ms Coutinho added that the Government had "tired to cook this up behind closed doors with radical activists".
"Some of whom previously said that even talking about grooming gangs was an example of anti-Muslim racism," she said.
"They must publish this proposed definition and the responses from the public consultation they were forced into."
The Shadow Minister acknowledged that anti-Muslim hatred had "no place in Britain".
"We cannot silence legitimate debate," she said.
Labour has faced growing pressure from Muslim groups to reaffirm the APPG's 2019 definition since the riots last summer which triggered a surge in anti-Muslim hate crimes.
Home Office figures showed offences rose by 19 per cent in the year to March, from 2,690 to 3,199.
There was a spike last August during the disorder that followed the Southport murders.