LONDON: A detailed report published in TRT World has exposed what it calls Britain’s “double standard” on racism, highlighting how the UK government swiftly adopted a definition of anti-Semitism but has failed for nearly a decade to recognise Islamophobia as a form of racism, despite record levels of hate crimes against Muslims.
The report titled “One Rule for Muslims: How Britain’s Islamophobia Debate Exposes a Double Standard” notes that although the UK formally recognises anti-Semitism as racism, Islamophobia continues to be treated as a political controversy, despite extensive consultations and overwhelming expert support for a clear definition.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims drafted a formal working definition in 2018 after wide consultations. The definition recognised Islamophobia as a form of racism targeting individuals based on perceived Muslim identity, appearance, dress, or belief. Over 800 academics, civil-society groups, parliamentarians, and local authorities endorsed it, and every major political party—except the then-ruling Conservative Party—accepted it.
However, the report highlights that the Labour government, despite prior commitments, backtracked after the 2024 general election. The government appointed another Independent Working Group chaired by Dominic Grieve KC, but its recommendations, submitted in October, remain unpublished. Leaks by civil servants to right-wing outlets have further fuelled misinformation and political polarization.
The report notes that Islamophobia in the UK has reached record levels. Muslims have been physically assaulted, mosques targeted in violent incidents, and hate crimes normalized by sections of the media. Home Office statistics for the year ending March 2025 show Muslims account for 45% of all religion-based hate crime victims, the highest of any group. Jews account for 29%.
Analysts say the UK government’s reluctance to adopt an Islamophobia definition contrasts sharply with its rapid acceptance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism in 2016—despite controversy around its conflation of criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. “If the UK could adopt the IHRA definition in months, why is defining Islamophobia still unresolved after almost a decade?” the report asks.
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