Overview

• The non-statutory working group, led by ex-Tory minister Dominic Grieve, is gathering input on an official Islamophobia definition ahead of a July 20 deadline.
• Evidence submissions are capped at just 70 to 100 characters, provoking accusations that detailed testimony is being deliberately squeezed out.
• Grassroots Muslim organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain and MEND have reportedly been barred from participating in the call for evidence.
• Figures like Sir Trevor Phillips and the Policy Exchange think tank have been consulted, fuelling concerns of a skewed process favouring critics of Muslim communities.
• More than 30 cross-party peers and free-speech advocates warn that the opaque procedures could chill legitimate discussion and criticism of Islam.