The British Government Wants To Define Extremism. Critics Say It Risks Creating More Division

The British government published an official definition of “extremism” on Thursday, and said groups that get the label will be barred from receiving government funding.

It’s unclear who will be on the list, and critics say branding nonviolent groups as extremist could undermine freedom of speech and worship, or risk unfairly targeting some people, such as Muslims, and create more division.

The government defined extremism as “the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance” that aims to destroy others’ rights and freedoms or “undermine, overturn or replace the U.K.’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights.”

The government did not provide examples of extremist groups, and is not expected to publish a list of such organizations for some weeks. But Communities Secretary Michael Gove pointed to the threat from the extreme right and Islamic “extremists who are seeking to separate Muslims from the rest of society and create division within Muslim communities.”

“This is not about banning organizations,” Gove told the BBC on Thursday. “This is simply saying, ‘this is an organization that we in government think it would be inappropriate to fund or engage with.’”

Read more: AP