(Middle East Eye) The British government blocked a working group it set up to advise on a possible definition of Islamophobia from consulting the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), while the group consulted prominent figures and organisations themselves accused of Islamophobia, Middle East Eye can reveal.
The working group, which was set up by the government in February, is being overseen by a former public affairs officer for the pro-Israel Board of Deputies of British Jews, who has also worked for an arms industry trade association and gone on trips to Israel with an organisation accused of operating in illegal settlements.
Government sources with knowledge of the matter said that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), headed by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, told the group it could not consult the MCB because the government has a policy of “disengagement” with the organisation.
