We believe the APPG definition should be adopted by the government and other bodies

ABOUT CAI

The Coalition Against Islamophobia was set up 2021 with the sole aim of bringing organisations across the UK together in order to tackle Islamophobia.
One of the current key priorities for the coalition is the adoption of the APPG definition of Islamophobia alongside the Coalition Against Islamophobia (CAI) guidelines.

APPG Definition

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims was established on 18 July 2017 to build on the work of the APPG on Islamophobia, but with a wider remit to examine a broad range of issues that British Muslims care about, and are affected by.

APPGs are composed of Members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They are informal, cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament, are not accorded any powers by Parliament or any of its Committees, and are independent of Government.‍

Following two years of consultation, on 27th November 2018, the APPG on British Muslims published a report titled “Islamophobia Defined: the inquiry into a working definition of Islamophobia.” This report contained the following definition:

“Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of muslimness or percieved muslimness.“

CAI Guidelines

CAI believes the APPG definition should be adopted by the government and other bodies alongside the following guidelines. Taking into account Islamophobia is demonstrated in, and articulated through, speech, writing, behaviours, structures, policies, legislation, or activities that work to control, regulate, or exclude Muslim participation within social, civic, economic and political life, or which embody hatred, vilification, stereotyping, abuse, discrimination, or violence directed at Muslims.

  • Causing, calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Muslims or those perceived to be Muslim due to their religious identity.
  • Causing, calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of individuals due to their perceived or actual connection to or support of Muslims.
  • Charging Muslims with conspiring to harm humanity and/or the Western way of life, or blaming Muslims for the economic and social ills of society.
  • Making mendacious, dehumanising, vilifying, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Muslims.
  • Objectifying and generalising Muslims as different, exotic or underdeveloped, or implying that they are outside of, distinct from, or incompatible with British society and identity.
  • Espousing the belief that Muslims are inferior to other social or religious groups.
  • Accusing Muslims as a collective of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Muslim person, group or nation, or even for acts committed by non-Muslims.
  • Applying double standards by requiring of Muslims a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other social, religious or ethnic group.
  • Acts of aggression within which the targets, whether they are people or property – such as buildings, schools, places of worship and cemeteries – are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Muslim(s) or linked to Muslims.
  • While criticism of Islam within legitimate realms of debate and free speech is not in itself Islamophobic, it may become Islamophobic if the arguments presented are used to justify or encourage vilification, stereotyping, dehumanization, demonization or exclusion of Muslims. For example, by using criticism of religion to argue that Muslims are collectively evil or violent.