The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have expressed concerns over government plans, led by UK Communities Secretary Michael Gove, to redefine extremism. They argue that the new definition could restrict freedom of speech and worship, potentially vilifying innocent individuals, particularly within Muslim communities. They have called for wider consultation to prevent unfair targeting and offered the Church of England’s help in facilitating discussions.

Michael Gove’s proposal, aiming to address the surge in extremist activities by focusing on ideology rather than merely words or actions, promises that government bodies will not engage with or fund groups identified under this new definition. He plans to use parliamentary privilege to name specific organizations that contravene the new guidelines, with Cage highlighted as a likely target due to its perceived efforts to undermine British democracy. The government’s strategy includes broader measures such as reports on democracy resilience and tackling political violence, forming part of a comprehensive action later in the year.

In a separate but related issue, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has been accused by former Church of England priest Rev Matthew Firth of failing to address the misuse of baptism requests by asylum seekers, allegedly to strengthen their asylum claims. Firth cited a pattern where mainly Iranian and Syrian male asylum seekers lost interest in baptism once asked to attend church services. Home Secretary James Cleverly has commenced an investigation into the exploitation of religion in asylum claims, amidst these concerns.

The Home Office, while responding to the allegations, stated there is no evidence of systemic abuse in the asylum process concerning Christian conversion. Lambeth Palace, representing Archbishop Welby, highlighted his stance that the Church’s role is to care for the vulnerable, leaving the responsibility of protecting borders and adjudicating asylum claims to the government and courts. Critics argue that the government’s approaches, both to combating extremism and to managing asylum claims, may have broader implications for community relations, freedom of religion, and speech in the UK.