October 26, 2005
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has declared its support for the controversial Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. Khalid Sofi, chair of legal affairs at the Council, said it would be right for the new law, currently being debated in parliament, to be used against bookstores if it could be demonstrated they were inciting racial hatred. The evangelical group Christian Voice has said it would use the legislation to have the Koran banned on the grounds that it calls for the slaughter of Jews. Sofi said: "Our view is that if anyone is inciting hatred of religion or race, then they should be prosecuted." The MCB's view was that the law would offer Muslims the same protection from racial and religious hatred that Jewish and Sikh communities currently enjoy. The bill has divided the voluntary sector in Britain. Some groups have warned that it could limit freedom of expression and lead to censorship.
