UK unveils new extremism definition following rise in Jewish, Muslim hate crimes

The UK has announced a new definition of extremism in response to a spike in anti-semitic and Islamophobic incidents in the country following Hamas’s October 7 attacks and Israel’s war on Gaza.

The new definition states that extremism entails “the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance”. The definition also includes speech that intends to undermine or replace the UK’s liberal parliamentary democracy or destroy fundamental rights and freedoms.

Michael Gove, the communities secretary, said the move was “the first in a series of measures to tackle extremism and protect our democracy”.

“Today’s measures will ensure that government does not inadvertently provide a platform to those setting out to subvert democracy and deny other people’s fundamental rights,” he said.

Tell Mama, a group that monitors Islamophobic incidents, has recorded a 335 per cent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes since the October 7 attacks, while Jewish safety watchdog Community Security Trust recorded a 147 per cent rise in antisemitic incidents in 2023.

Source: Aljazeera