LONDON: The Labour Party has formally adopted a definition of Islamophobiaarguing that it is vital to tackle the rise of far-right racism in Britainwhich is rooted in racism and hatred.
British Pakistani parliamentarians Sayeeda Warsi, Naz Shah and Afzal Khanworked for many months with other parliamentarians to get the definitionadopted. The Liberal Democrats have already adopted the same definition.
The Labour Party on Wednesday said its national executive committee hasadopted the working definition produced by the all-party parliamentarygroup on British Muslims “to help tackle Islamophobia, build a commonunderstanding of its causes and consequences, and express solidarity withMuslim communities”.
The definition reads: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type ofracism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”
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The definition was produced by the group to build a common understanding ofthe causes and consequences of Islamophobia. It was decided upon after asix-month consultation with academics, lawyers, elected officials, Muslimorganisations, activists, campaigners, and communities.
More than 800 British Muslim organisations, 80 academics and 50 MPs havebacked the definition.
