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The anti-racism campaigner Trevor Phillips has been suspended from the Labour Party over allegations of Islamophobia. Some have described the move as 鈥淥rwellian鈥�; others believe he has a case to answer. The issue turns on what we mean by 鈥業slamophobia鈥� 鈥� although even to pose that question is to invite denunciation in some quarters; why split hairs when it鈥檚 obvious that anti-Muslim bigotry is rife? The Conservative party has been under attack for the allegedly Islamophobic utterances of some within its ranks, but it is waiting to agree on a definition of 鈥業slamophobia鈥� before committing to an inquiry. It is 20 years since the term entered the political lexicon and almost a decade since Baroness Warsi declared that Islamophobia had passed the 鈥榙inner table test鈥� and become acceptable in polite society; yet, we still haven鈥檛 quite decided what it is and what it isn鈥檛. Some people 鈥� including many Muslims 鈥� have a problem with the word itself because they think it reinforces the idea that Islam is something to be afraid of. Islam is a religion, not a race, but the definition used by the Labour Party calls Islamophobia 鈥榓 type of racism鈥�, because of the comparable experiences described by Muslims at the sharp end of group discrimination. Meanwhile, free speech advocates are concerned that any formal definition risks blurring the line between the unacceptable hatred of people (Muslims) and the legitimate criticism of ideas (Islam). Once we have our definition, whom should we appoint to decide whether particular words or deeds are Islamophobic? And if there鈥檚 a spectrum that runs from insensitivity and disrespect at one end to the most hideous kinds of hate crime at the other, where along that line should the law intervene? With Mohammed Amin, Myriam Francois, Ibrahim Mogra & Fiyaz Mughal.

Producer: Dan Tierney.