Sikh group among those commencing legal action in UK courts over Islamophobia definition

TOI correspondent from London: The Free Speech Union (FSU) has sent a pre-action protocol letter to UK communities secretary Steve Reed notifying him of its intention to bring a judicial review in the courts challenging the new “anti-Muslim hostility” (AMH) definition adopted by the UK govt.

The letter sets out the legal grounds on which it believes the definition is unlawful.

Network of Sikh Organisations, the Christian Institute, and Women’s Policy Centre are among the co-claimants.




It says the definition breaches an individual’s rights to freely express views about Islam, a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. It points out that existing legislation already protects Muslims from hate crime and the definition “introduces a blasphemy law”.

The definition would explicitly infringe upon the rights of Sikhs. Referring to the ninth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Tegh Bahadur, who “gave his life defending the freedom of belief of Hindus who were being forced to convert to Islam under the sword by one of India’s Mughal rulers”, the letter states: “Simply recounting this historical matter could be deemed a form of AMH.”

“The definition could likewise capture images of Sikh martyrs (including two Gurus) which are routinely displayed in many gurdwaras across the UK,” it says. Some verses in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, “not least Babar Baani, Guru Nanak’s account of the consequences of Babar’s invasion and the brutalities he witnessed first-hand — could well be captured by the definition,” it adds.

Sikhs are forbidden to eat halal meat because they view halal slaughter as inhumane. “Yet just asserting these facts has the potential to engage the definition,” it asserts.

“It cannot be right to interfere with the religious freedom of one group — Sikhs — to defend the sensibilities of Muslims. To do so would be to place one faith above the rest,” it states.

The letter says the definition may prevent women speaking out about honour killings, grooming gangs, and female genital mutilation. It could silence the likes of Prof Richard Dawkins, who regularly criticises Islam, and authors such as Salman Rushdie, the subject of a fatwa.

“The FSU is concerned that the true driver behind the definition was politically motivated,” it concludes.