(Middle East Eye) Over 400 British imams and religious scholars have signed a letter rejecting a new UK government definition of extremism that targeted several British Muslim organisations.
Last week, Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced a contentious new definition of extremism, though the government conceded that the wording was “non-statutory” and created no new legal powers.
Gove identified a number of Muslim organisations, including the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and Cage, which he said the government planned to “hold to account” using the new definition because of their “Islamist orientation.”
In an earlier statement, Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the definition had been updated to respond to an “increased extremist threat since October 7 terror attacks in Israel,” citing a rise in reported antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes.
