Forty Labour and independent MPs call on Steve Reed to take ‘important step’ of defining anti-Muslim hatred
More than three dozen Labour and independent MPs have written to the housing secretary calling on the government to adopt a definition of Islamophobia, after recent figures revealed hate crimes against Muslims were up by nearly a fifth.
Forty MPs, including Labour MPs Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler, Kim Johnson and independent Andrew Gwynne, were among the signatories on the letter from Afzal Khan who wrote to Steve Reed on Friday asking him to adopt a definition of anti-Muslim hatred as an “important step” in addressing discrimination, prejudice and hatred the community faces.
“This comes at a time when unfortunately, Islamophobia continues to increase rapidly, with devastating consequences. In 2025, 45% of religious hate crimes were directed towards Muslims. This is a 19% increase,” the letter says.
“This means Islamophobic hate crimes have risen 92% since 2023 and the adoption of a definition by the government becomes more important than ever.”
