72% OF LONDONERS BACK RELIGIOUS HATRED BILL
(9 June 2005)

Measures to protect individuals from hatred stirred up against them on the basis of their religious belief were set out today by the Government as it published the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. It would create a new offence of Incitement to Religious Hatred, closing a gap in existing law, whereby Jews and Sikhs are protected explicitly against incited hatred by the racial hatred offences in the Public Order Act, but members of other faiths are not. The offences would apply where threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour are used by someone who intends to stir up hatred against a group of people defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief, or it is likely that such hatred will be stirred up.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, today welcomed the Bill outlawing incitement to religious hatred and noted that this proposal is massively supported by voters in London. He said 'Our polls show that 72 per cent of Londoners support new laws to outlaw incitement of hatred against people on grounds of their religion. Just 15 per cent oppose such laws.

'The new law will provide important protection and reassurance for Muslim and other communities that have experienced growing abuse and targeting by extremists.

'The Bill will not restrict the right of people to criticise religions in literature, art or other fields – just as the outlawing of incitement to racial hatred in 1986 did nothing to restrict artistic freedom. It will stop the far right whipping up hatred against Muslims, Jews and other religions.'

Home Office Minister, Paul Goggins, said: "People of all backgrounds and faiths have a right to live free from hatred, racism and extremism. Only by tackling such issues head on will we preserve the tolerance, fairness and inclusiveness which are such vital parts of our society.

Prosecution under the new offence of Incitement to Religious Hatred would require that offensive words or actions must be threatening, abusive or insulting and intended to stir up hatred, or, having regard to all the circumstances, likely to stir up such hatred. Religious hatred is defined as "hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief." All prosecutions would have to pass the Crown Prosecution Service public interest test and require the consent of the Attorney General.

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