“Why Britain’s new Islamophobia definition should worry Hindus and Sikhs”, First Post, March 22, 2026
“In the most definite sign yet that Britain’s beleaguered ruling dispensation has deliberately decided to appease a votebank known to act en bloc electorally, it has unveiled—pun unintended—a new definition of Islamophobia that portends to be a precursor to a blasphemy law. It will also appoint what is being called an “anti-Islamophobia tsar”, giving rise to justified suspicions of a clampdown on debate and discussion on Islam and the activities of its practitioners in the UK.
Britain’s Free Speech Union fired the first legal salvo by sending a “pre-action protocol letter” to the UK Communities Secretary notifying its intention to file a review petition against the government’s new “anti-Muslim hostility” definition. The Network of Sikh Organisations, the Christian Institute and the Women’s Policy Centre are co-petitioners. They claim it impinges on a person’s right to freely criticise Islam, as there is already a law against hate speech.
The Network of Sikh Organisations’ (NSO) concern is expected given that a sign in a restaurant in London owned by a Sikh, Harman Singh Kapoor, saying halal meat—the only slaughtering method approved by Islam—was not served there led to violence and protests beginning on March 14, and even death threats. Sikhs and Hindus are widely known to prefer the ‘jhatka’ method, much like the Jews have ‘kosher’. Kapoor responded by saying he would “kill” his attackers. And he got arrested……”
Read full article at firstpost.com
