LONDON: A British Sikh organisation has threatened to take legal action against the UK government over a potential new definition of Islamophobia and the decision to appoint a working group to develop one, pointing out that any government-backed definition risks discriminating against other faiths.
The Network of Sikh organisations (NSO), an umbrella body for Sikhs in the UK, has sent a pre-action letter to communities secretary Steve Reed, raising concerns over the impact of any definition on Sikhs and on freedom of religion and speech in Britain.
The anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia working group was set up in March 2025 to develop a non-statutory definition of Islamophobia to provide the UK government and other relevant bodies with a greater understanding of prejudice against Muslims. Ministers may opt not to accept the definition.
The letter that the NSO is preparing to seek a judicial review.
The NSO argues that any definition of Islamophobia will also interfere with the right of Sikhs and others to freely manifest their religion and beliefs, a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lord Singh of Wimbledon, director of NSO, wrote: “Sikhs are strictly forbidden to eat halal slaughtered meat because halal slaughter, especially non-stun slaughter, is inhumane.” Yet just asserting this would, by virtue of the 2018 definition of Islamophobia by the All-Party-Parliamentary-Group (APPG) on Muslims, be considered Islamophobic, he wrote.
The ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, gave his life defending the freedom of belief of Hindus who were being forced to convert to Islam. “Simply recounting this historical truth would be deemed Islamophobic according to the APPG definition,” Singh wrote.
“There are countless other examples of Sikh (and indeed other religious and philosophical) beliefs and practices which would offend people of the Islamic faith,” he wrote.
His letter also criticises the consultation exercise, saying it was carried out privately with select groups and that NSO was not invited to provide evidence.
Officials at the ministry of housing, communities and local govt (MHCLG) told TOI they had received the letter and would reply shortly. The working group received a response to the call for evidence from the NSO. “The concerns they raised have informed the work,” a source said. “Any proposed definition must be compatible with the right to freedom of speech. That includes the right to … insult religions.”
A MHCLG spokesperson said, “No decisions on a definition have been made, and we will not accept any definition which damages freedom of speech or discriminates against religious communities.”
The Network of Sikh organisations (NSO), an umbrella body for Sikhs in the UK, has sent a pre-action letter to communities secretary Steve Reed, raising concerns over the impact of any definition on Sikhs and on freedom of religion and speech in Britain.
The anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia working group was set up in March 2025 to develop a non-statutory definition of Islamophobia to provide the UK government and other relevant bodies with a greater understanding of prejudice against Muslims. Ministers may opt not to accept the definition.
The letter that the NSO is preparing to seek a judicial review.
The NSO argues that any definition of Islamophobia will also interfere with the right of Sikhs and others to freely manifest their religion and beliefs, a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lord Singh of Wimbledon, director of NSO, wrote: “Sikhs are strictly forbidden to eat halal slaughtered meat because halal slaughter, especially non-stun slaughter, is inhumane.” Yet just asserting this would, by virtue of the 2018 definition of Islamophobia by the All-Party-Parliamentary-Group (APPG) on Muslims, be considered Islamophobic, he wrote.
The ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, gave his life defending the freedom of belief of Hindus who were being forced to convert to Islam. “Simply recounting this historical truth would be deemed Islamophobic according to the APPG definition,” Singh wrote.
“There are countless other examples of Sikh (and indeed other religious and philosophical) beliefs and practices which would offend people of the Islamic faith,” he wrote.
His letter also criticises the consultation exercise, saying it was carried out privately with select groups and that NSO was not invited to provide evidence.
Officials at the ministry of housing, communities and local govt (MHCLG) told TOI they had received the letter and would reply shortly. The working group received a response to the call for evidence from the NSO. “The concerns they raised have informed the work,” a source said. “Any proposed definition must be compatible with the right to freedom of speech. That includes the right to … insult religions.”
A MHCLG spokesperson said, “No decisions on a definition have been made, and we will not accept any definition which damages freedom of speech or discriminates against religious communities.”
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