Britain redefines 'extremism' in the face of rising hate crimes, critics call it a threat to free speech

Britain on Wednesday (Mar 13) came up with a new definition of extremism, aiming to address a surge in hate crimes against Jews and Muslims following the Oct 7 Hamas attackon Israel.

Extremism's new definition

As per the UK's new definition of extremism, it "is the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred, or intolerance", that aims to negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; or undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights; or intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve those results.

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"This new definition helps clearly articulate how extremism is evidenced through the public behaviour of extremists that advance their violent, hateful or intolerant aims," reads the UK government website.

Tackling extremism

Michael Gove, the communities minister who heads the department that is behind the new definition, said: "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."

"This is the first in a series of measures to tackle extremism and protect our democracy," he added.

Britain already proscribes groups involved in terrorism, and that membershipor support for such organisations constitutes a criminal offence.

Groups identified as extremist through a "robust" assessment in the coming weeks will be denied government funding or engagement opportunities.

Critics warn against it

Critics, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, as per Reuters, have cautioned that the new definition could potentially encroach on freedom of speech.

Archbishop Welby said, "The problem with a top-down definition of extremism is that it catches people who (we) don't want to catch."

"It may accidentally inhibit what we have very preciously in this country, an extraordinarily robust freedom of speech and ability to disagree strongly," he added in a conversation with BBC radio on Wednesday, before the release of the definition.

Furthermore, more than 50 survivors or relatives of victims of Islamist attacks in Britain have criticised politicians for "equating being Muslim with being an extremist".They've signed a letter alleging that this rhetoric inadvertently plays into the hands of militants.

Extremism in Britain

This comes as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had previously warned that the nation's multi-ethnic democracy was under deliberate threat from both Islamist and far-right extremists.

According to the Community Security Trust, a Jewish safety watchdog, driven by the Oct 7 attacks, antisemitic incidents in the UK surged by 147 per cent in 2023, reaching record levels.

Tell Mama, a group monitoring anti-Muslim incidents, also reported a 335 per cent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes since the attacks.

(With inputs from agencies)