Last week, the UK government announced a revised definition of “extremism”, drawing sharp criticism from activists, according to TRT World.
Opponents fear the new definition has a broader scope, deprives them of government funding and makes it harder for them to reach British lawmakers.
The government claims that this “definition is not statutory” and will have no impact on “existing criminal law,” as well as applies only to the government. The UK communities secretary Michael Gove, who made the announcement, has been heavily criticised, especially by civil liberties organisations, as some argue that changing the official language will disproportionately affect Muslims.
British lawmakers explained that they proposed an “updated and more precise definition of extremism,” which avoided providing a “platform, funding or legitimacy to groups or individuals who attempt to advance extremist ideologies that negate our fundamental rights and freedoms and overturn the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy.”
The move comes amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. A draft ministerial statement stated that Gove had clarified the list of names of far-right and Muslim groups. Those included the Muslim Association of Britain, Cage International, Muslim Engagement and Development (MAD), 5 pillars and the Friends of al-Aqsa.
They also include Britain First, the British National Socialist Movement and the Patriotic Alternative.
That led to accusations that the Conservative government was seeking political gains ahead of the general election, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak indicated was likely to be held in the second half of 2024.
Britain’s largest Muslim organisation experienced a drop in engagement with the UK government, which the report described as “indicative of strained relations.” It also revealed divisions within the party after signing an open letter to the Guardian newspaper in which officials including Priti Patel, Sajid Javid and Amber Rudd called for unity.
We urge the Labour Party and the Conservative Party to work together to build a shared understanding of extremism and a strategy to prevent it that can stand the test of time, no matter which party wins an election.
According to the revised definition, extremism is anything that promotes or advances “an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance that aims to negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.” The definition also includes anything that “undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights; or intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve the results.”
Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf also sharply warned that religious leaders, such as the Archbishops of Canterbury & York, voiced concern that the definition was targeting and negatively affecting the Muslim community. He called the revised definition “a symptom of a Tory Party that wishes to indulge in culture wars for cheap political gain.”
A full list of new “extremist” groups is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
