Does Labour back Islamic blasphemy laws?

What century is this again? Earlier today, at Prime Minister’s Questions, a Labour MP stood up in parliament demanding the introduction of Islamic blasphemy laws. Tahrir Ali, the MP for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley, asked Keir Starmer whether he would ‘commit to introducing measures to prohibit the desecration of all religious texts and the prophets of the Abrahamic religions?’.

Tahir Ali MP: "will the Prime Minister commit to introducing measures to prohibit the desecration of all religious texts and the prophets of the Abrahamic religions"

Alarmingly Keir Starmer's response is not a flat out refusal. Blasphemy laws have no place in the UK. pic.twitter.com/HQoL8EicVh

— Lara Brown (@lara_e_brown) November 27, 2024

Now, while Ali was careful to appear ‘inclusive’, calling for a ban on insulting all ‘Abrahamic’ faiths, it is clear he is primarily concerned with punishing the critics of one religion in particular. His question was posed in the context of ‘Islamophobia Awareness Month’. And he cited a recent UN Human Rights Council resolution condemning the desecration of the Koran.

As disturbing as it was to hear a Labour MP call for the introduction of medieval blasphemy laws, Starmer’s response was more alarming still. Instead of rejecting Ali’s call for Sharia-compliant speech as utterly incompatible with a liberal, democratic society, the prime minister agreed with the sentiment. He said: ‘We are committed to tackling all forms of hatred and division, including, of course, Islamophobia in all of its forms.’ Here we see how easily charges of ‘Islamophobia’, which has been presented as a form of racism, can be weaponised to shield the religion of Islam from criticism.

Labour’s flirtation with Islamic blasphemy laws in the Commons today was not a one-off, either. In 2021, Labour MP Naz Shah called for tough sentences to be meted out against those who ‘defame, slander or abuse our prophet’. Starmer himself has signalled that his government could adopt a definition of Islamophobia that would severely chill discussion of Islam and even Islamist extremism.

Will our right to blaspheme survive this Labour government? We’ll find out soon enough.

Fraser Myers is deputy editor at spiked and host of the spiked podcast. Follow him on X: @FraserMyers.