The UK authorities’s new definition of “extremism”, touted as a bid to sort out rising Islamophobia and anti-Semitism within the aftermath of Israel’s struggle on Gaza, has ignited fierce debate throughout the political spectrum, with critics on all sides claiming it’ll erode freedom of speech and civil liberties.
Communities Secretary Michael Gove final month named a number of UK-based far-right organisations, together with the neo-Nazi British Nationwide Socialist Motion and the Patriotic Various, which might be held “to account to evaluate in the event that they meet our definition of extremism and [we] will take motion as applicable”.
Amid heightened home tensions since October 7, he additionally named a number of outstanding teams advocating for Muslims’ civil rights, together with the Muslim Council of Britain, the Muslim Affiliation of Britain – which he described because the UK affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, Cage, and Muslim Engagement and Growth (MEND).
“The truth that there are instantly Muslim organisations who’re labelled as [‘extremist’] tells you precisely what this piece of laws is meant for,” mentioned Imran Khan QC, the British lawyer who rose to prominence representing the household of Stephen Lawrence, whose racist homicide in 1993 uncovered institutional racism within the Metropolitan Police.
Organisations deemed “excessive” below the brand new definition might be blacklisted, made ineligible for presidency funding, and they are going to be banned from assembly with ministers.
“What’s the place to begin of ‘excessive views’?” mentioned Khan, who has labored on quite a few “extremism” and “terrorism” instances following the July 2005 bombings in London, and represented surviving households of the Grenfell Tower catastrophe.
“The basic instance that’s at all times used is about [Nelson] Mandela being a freedom fighter in a single occasion, and a terrorist in one other,” he instructed Al Jazeera.
“It’s based mostly on prejudice, Islamophobia, racism, and it will likely be these sections of society who aren’t capable of defend themselves, who’re going to be topic to additional prosecution and persecution.”
Britain is residence to a sizeable Muslim minority of about 4 million individuals, or 6 p.c of the inhabitants.
The final definition of extremism within the UK, which positioned higher emphasis on acts of violence, was drafted in 2011.
People or teams had been seen to be “extremist” in the event that they demonstrated “vocal or energetic opposition to British basic values, together with democracy, the rule of regulation, particular person liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of various faiths and beliefs”.
The revised definition is non-statutory, which implies proscribed people or teams is not going to be prosecuted.
The federal government now says extremism is the “promotion or development of an ideology based mostly on violence, hatred or intolerance”, and that teams with the next goals might be thought of extremist:
1. negate or destroy the basic rights and freedoms of others
2. undermine, overturn or exchange the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights
3. or deliberately create a permissive atmosphere for others to attain the leads to 1 and a couple of.
The event comes within the wake of weekly nationwide protests held throughout the UK in solidarity with Palestinians, as Israel’s struggle on Gaza, which has to this point killed about 33,800 individuals, rages on.
Professional-Palestine rallies within the UK have been riddled with claims that they play host to anti-Semitism. Former House Secretary Suella Braverman lamented what she known as “hate marches” in November after elevating the potential for banning them.
Gove has beforehand described these attending pro-Palestinian demonstrations as “good-hearted individuals” who had been “lending credence to extremists”.
Amnesty Worldwide, Liberty, and Buddies of the Earth warned that the most recent definition of extremism was too broad.
Different critics say it unfairly targets left-wing, socialist, environmental and anti-fascist teams, comparable to Palestine Motion, which has focused the UK’s subsidiary factories and places of work of Elbit Techniques – Israel’s largest arms producer which provides the vast majority of land and air munitions utilized by the Israeli military.
“My fear is that it can’t solely serve to additional misrepresent and delegitimise such protests, however securitise and criminalise them, Palestinians, Muslims, and the left,” mentioned Aaron Winter, a senior lecturer in sociology at Lancaster College, referring to the naming of MEND, Cage and different organisations by Gove.
He added that whereas some far-right organisations are additionally named, the current opposition to pro-Palestine protests reveals the “equivalence is fake and signifies that there might be a double normal”.
“That is one thing we’ve got already seen in the way in which counter-extremism has disproportionately focused Muslims.”
In a joint assertion printed on March 12, the archbishops of Canterbury and York warned the federal government that its new extremism definition dangers “disproportionately focusing on Muslim communities” and “driving us aside”.
“The brand new definition being proposed not solely inadvertently threatens freedom of speech, but in addition the fitting to worship and peaceable protest – issues which were arduous received and type the material of a civilised society,” the assertion mentioned.
“Crucially, it dangers disproportionately focusing on Muslim communities, who’re already experiencing rising ranges of hate and abuse,” it added.
Throughout the political spectrum, these on the fitting have additionally expressed fears the definition could possibly be used to ban teams with socially conservative values round transgender rights, same-sex marriage, or abortion.
“The definition means that extremism may be the ‘promotion’ of an ideology based mostly on ‘intolerance’ – this riskily permits for quite a lot of subjectivity,” mentioned Rakib Ehsan, an unbiased counter-extremism analyst.
“Trans-radical activists would argue that believing a organic male can by no means be a lady is ‘illiberal’,” he added. “Professional-choice organisations may put ahead the view that those that help higher protections for the unborn are a basic menace to ladies’s rights.”
In March, Gove mentioned Britons “cherish free speech” and that conservative non secular beliefs, anti or pro-trans activists, and environmental protest teams is not going to have their rights infringed upon.
Days earlier than the brand new definition was launched, 12 anti-extremism specialists, together with three former Conservative residence secretaries – Priti Patel, Sajid Javid and Amber Rudd – signed a press release warning concerning the dangers of politicising the difficulty within the run-up to this yr’s basic election.
For Khan, the definition evokes recollections of othering and racism he felt because the little one of Muslim, Pakistani immigrants.
He fears the revised definition can have “greater than only a chilling impact” on British Muslims and different disenfranchised communities.
“I struggle on behalf of people who imagine the system isn’t treating them properly. Am I in peril of being labelled an ‘extremist lawyer’ due to any person who’s an extremist?” Khan mentioned.
“We’re changing into extra authoritarian, dictatorial [and] stopping respectable arguments, respectable makes an attempt at difficult the established order.”
