Anti-Muslim hatred definition will in 'no way' restrict free speech, says Reed

Government efforts to protect Muslims from abuse will in "no way" restrict people's freedom to criticise Islam, the communities secretary has said.

Steve Reed told the BBC he believes a new definition of "anti-Muslim hostility" included in the government's social cohesion plan finds the right balance.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last year raised concerns that a new definition risked creating a "chilling effect" on freedom of expression.

The social cohesion plan, which will be published on Monday, also includes measures aimed at promoting integration and tackling "extremist influence" in institutions, such as charities and universities.

An independent group, led by former Conservative minister Dominic Grieve, was established by the government last year to provide advice on a definition of "anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia".

This was in response to what the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government called the "concerning rise in anti-Muslim hate crime, which has reached record levels".

The definition is non-statutory, meaning it is not set in law or legally binding, but will provide guidance to public bodies on what constitutes unacceptable treatment of Muslims.

During the consultation, the EHRC said a new definition could cause "further harm to community cohesion if it is perceived as a threat to freedom of expression".

Reed said "if you can't describe a problem you can't do anything about it" as he defended the development of the final definition, which has yet to be published.

Asked why he had ignored the EHRC's concerns, Reed told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I didn't ignore it, I share those concerns actually and the key point there was 'if it stifles freedom of speech' and it doesn't.

"The task force came up wording that explains what causes hostility to Muslim people from the behaviours of others.

"But it in no way restricts people's freedom and people's rights to criticise religion in general, any religion in particular or even people for practising that religion."

Reed said he believed a way of dealing with "legitimate concerns" had been found while protecting Muslims from the "scale of abuse that they're facing".

Of the total religious hate crime offences recorded by police in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025, 4,478 (45%) targeted Muslims - compared to 3,866 in 2023/24.

A breakdown of the "hate crime rate" in 2024/25 released by the Home Office showed 106 offences targeted Jewish people per 10,000 population and 12 offences per 10,000 Muslims.

Former Conservative minister Baroness Warsi, who co-chairs the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, told the BBC: "If there ever was a need for us to start tackling anti-Muslim racism, anti-Muslim hatred seriously then this is the time."

Jonathan Hall KC, the government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said the definition needs to contain examples of free speech which are not anti-Muslim hatred.

He said there are "uncomfortable" topics that people want to talk about, including migration and Islamism, and he will want to see if the definition "allows people to speak about that" or will the examples be "very narrow".

Hall told the BBC: "The worry will be with loose language people will feel inhibited about talking about things which are genuinely important today."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said some people are trying to use the Iran conflict as an "opportunity to divide" the Muslim community and the Jewish community.

Speaking during a visit to a community centre in London, Sir Keir said the "broader" cohesion plan is about "how we bring the country together".