Religious Hatred Legislation 

Concern about confusion

15 July 2005

Last month some 2000 Christians, mainly from London’s black majority churches, gathered at Westminster to show their concern about the new Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. A petition was also handed in from churches across the nation to Downing Street calling on Tony Blair to throw out the Bill.

This gathering coincided with Report stage and votes in the House of Commons on whether to give the Bill a Third Reading. In the event, both the media and MPs largely ignored this impressive public display of concern and voted by a majority of 58 to reject the compromise so-called ‘Lester’ amendment, and by a majority of 72 to send the Bill to the House of Lords.

Leaders of 100 black churches staged the rally at Westminster. Katei Kirby, general manager of the African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance said they had no objections in principle to anything which protected people’s right to choose and express their faith. But the proposed legislation might affect churches’ ability to “share the gospel”.

The demonstrators were worried that the Bill might restrict their freedom to preach and proclaim the gospel and prevent proselytising. Dr Don Horrocks; Head of Public Affairs at the Evangelical Alliance said, ‘The fact is that few people have any clear idea about what the Bill will permit or restrain. Many Muslims believe the Bill to be a new blasphemy law to protect Islam. Many in the media industry believe that their ability to critique or lampoon religion will be severely curtailed.’

He added: ‘The Evangelical Alliance has consistently opposed this Bill and its predecessors, mainly on the grounds of its open-ended and confusing nature, as well as the conviction that its unintended effects and consequences will be serious and far-reaching.’