Will UK government's new 'extremist' definition single out Muslim groups?

Last week, the UK government announced a revised definition of 'extremism,' drawing stark criticism from activists who fear the new definition has a broader scope, and cuts them off from government funding and hinders access to UK lawmakers.

The government says this "definition is not statutory” and will have no effect on “existing criminal law” and only applies to the government.

The UK communities secretary, Michael Gove, who made the announcement, has received strong criticism, notably from civil liberty organisations as some say the change in the official language will disproportionately target the Muslims.

On its part, the UK government says it provides an "updated and more precise definition of extremism" that "inadvertently" avoids affording a "platform, funding or legitimacy to groups or individuals who attempt to advance extremist ideologies that negate our fundamental rights and freedoms and overturn the UK's system of liberal parliamentary democracy."

Despite this, prominent officials like Jonathan Hall, the UK's Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, have pushed back against the change, warning it risks tarnishing the UK's democratic reputation internationally.

He told The Guardian the push "focuses on ideas, on ideology, not action" but critically leaves no option for anyone who wants to appeal against such a designation without an appeals body.

The move comes in the backdrop of the Israeli war on Gaza.

According to the Guardian, a draft ministerial statement suggested that Gove had floated naming far-right and Muslim groups. These include the Muslim Association of Britain, Cage International, Muslim Engagement and Development (MAD), 5 pillars and the Friends of al-Aqsa alongside far-right groups - Britain First, British National Socialist Movement and the Patriotic Alternative.

It has led to accusations that the Conservative government is seeking to make political gains ahead of a general election that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says will likely take place in the second half of 2024.

Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella organisation working locally, nationally and globally, believes the government is "playing politics with extremism" that leads to the demonisation of Muslims ahead of elections.

In an op-ed in the British newspaper Metro, Mohammed outlined Former Home Secretaries Priti Patel, Sajid Javid, and Amber Rudd and Conservative counter-terror and extremist experts "cautioned" against potential exploitation for political gain.

Mohammed has also said that the so-called Conservative experts have shown "very little grasp" over the subject and have had "no meaningful engagement with Muslim communities."

Britain's largest Muslim organisation has experienced a drop in level of engagement with the UK government, something that a report described as "indicative of strained relations".

It has also exposed frictions within the party, following a co-signed open letter to the Guardian where the officials including Priti Patel, Sajid Javid and Amber Rudd called for unity.

"We urge the Labour Party and the Conservative Party to work together to build a shared understanding of extremism and a strategy to prevent it that can stand the test of time, no matter which party wins an election," they wrote.

As per the revised revised definition, extremism is anything that promotes or advances “an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance that aims to negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; 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 the results…”

Last Thursday, Gove, who enjoys parliament privilege when speaking publicly, underscored three organisations that he claimed had an "Islamist orientation" - the Muslim Association of Britain, Cage International, and Mend.

"Organisations such as the Muslim Association of Britain, which is the British affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, and other groups such as Cage and Mend, give rise to concern for the Islamist orientation and views", he said.

He added that the UK authorities would investigate further to "assess if they meet our definition of extremism, and we will take action as appropriate."

Some of the groups have pushed Gove to repeat his comments outside the House of Commons away from his Parliamentary privilege that affords legal immunity relating to civil and criminal cases for lawmakers remarks or actions carrying out their legislative duties.

First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf also offered a stark warning that religious leaders such as the Archbishops of Canterbury & York, have voiced concerns that the definitionn targets and negatively impacts the Muslim community.

He called the revised definition "a symptom of a Tory Party that wishes to indulge in culture wars for cheap political gain."

"The Tories are the Party of "Go Home" vans, Hostile Environment, Windrush, their Leader called Muslim women bank robbers, Lee Anderson spouted Islamophobia and their biggest donor allegedly said he would like to shoot a Black MP. A nasty Party that deserves electoral oblivion," he added.

A comprehensive list of the new "extremist" groups is expected to be published in the upcoming weeks.

Cage International's Anas Mustapha said the move comes amid the government's bid to incite people's fears against Muslims, diverting their attention, removing their right to free speech and protest.

"They label you as an 'extremist' for exercising your democratic rights," he said.

Mustapha also touched on the sharpened rhetoric from officials that have called the pro-Palestinian solidarity marches "mobs" or "Islamists."

A day after George Galloway returned to office, securing the parliamentary seat of Rochdale in February, Sunak claimed, "In recent weeks and months, we've seen a shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality. What started as protests on our streets has descended into intimidation, threats and planned acts of violence."

Those involved in the pro-Palestine solidarity movement have been quick to hit out amid prominent marches to call for a ceasefire amid the continued Israeli onslaught in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign said Gove's "redefinition of extremism, framed as a defence of democracy, is, in reality, an assault on core democratic freedoms, seeking to silence dissenting voices."

The organisation went on to refer to the ongoing onslaught in Gaza in a written statement, calling upon "all political parties to condemn Gove's statement and resist the government's plans."

"We are united as a coalition and will not allow Gove's intervention to distract us from standing in solidarity with a people confronting genocide, ethnic cleansing, occupation and apartheid."