Meddling European human rights chiefs try to gag Press from saying when terrorists are Muslim

MEDDLING human rights chiefs were panned yesterday for trying to stop the press divulging when terrorists are Muslim.

The Council of Europe's human rights watchdog sent an extraordinary list of demands to the UK Government.

It laid out 23 demands for change as it blamed a rise in hate crime on "worrying examples of intolerance and hate speech" in newspapers.

And in an incredible move the report, from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, recommended the media be stopped reporting the Muslim background of terrorist fanatics.

The Government rejected the list - saying it was "committed to a free and open press".

The panel - chaired by Christian Ahlund - admitted the butchery ofISIS had put Muslims "under the spotlight".

But it said: "ECRI considers that fuelling prejudice against Muslims shows a reckless disregard, not only for the dignity of the great majority of Muslims in the United Kingdom, but also for their safety.

"The violent backlash against Muslims is likely to be greater than in cases where the perpetrators motivation is downplayed or rejected in favour of alternative explanations."

UK Ministers told the body the Government would not gag the press - as long as it stayed within the guidelines.

"The Government does not interfere with what the press does and does not publish, as long as the press abides by the law."