Highlights
- Communities secretary Steve Reed has announced a new non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility, pledging it will not restrict freedom of speech.
- The Social Cohesion Strategy includes plans to expand powers to tackle extremism, school citizenship classes and English language provision.
- Critics warned that the definition risks hindering free speech and legitimate criticism of Islamism.
The three-paragraph definition was put together by a five-member group of experts. It does not mention race — something that was reportedly debated heavily within the group.
The announcement comes as hate crime against Muslims in Britain has reached record levels, with Reed describing the situation as requiring urgent government action.
The definition is non-statutory, meaning it does not create new laws but sets out what counts as unacceptable prejudice, discrimination and hatred towards Muslims.
Wider plans announced
The definition was released alongside a broader Social Cohesion Strategy. This includes giving university staff a new whistleblowing route to report extremism, giving the Charity Commission powers to shut down charities and making citizenship classes compulsory in schools.
The strategy also promises to improve English language teaching across the country, with an update due in autumn 2026.
The strategy also pledges to boost faith literacy in government and wider society, and to teach digital literacy in schools as part of efforts to counter online disinformation and division
Prime minister Keir Starmer wrote in the foreword: "We need to be much more active in asserting British values and the responsibilities of integration."
Prof Javed Khan of thinktank Equi welcomed the definition as "a watershed moment" but said not enough had been done to tackle the growth of far-right extremism.
Shadow communities secretary Paul Holmes said the strategy "lacked ambition" and warned the definition risked limiting free speech and "legitimate criticism of Islamism."
