Dear Sirs,

Stephen Pollard (Daily Telegraph, 1 Feb 2006) observes derisively that it was British Muslims who were at the forefront of calls for a new law to prohibit Incitement to Religious Hatred and points out that Jews and Sikhs (amongst others) were not.

This could be due to the fact that Jews (such as Stephen Pollard) and Sikhs are already protected under our existing Incitement to Racial Hatred laws as both faith groups are for the purpose of law regarded also as racial groupings. British Muslims are not regarded as a racial group.

The resulting loophole in our law has not gone unnoticed by far right groups who have in recent years been explicitly targeting British Muslims with their venom with a view to stirring up hatred.

British Muslims are not seeking special treatment, only equal protection for followers of all faith groups and an end to the hierarchy of rights that exists at present.

Yours faithfully,

Inayat Bunglawala.
Secretary,
Media Committee,
The Muslim Council of Britain

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