Definition Creep Silences Religious Critique

When governments adopt broad, poorly specified definitions (e.g., 'anti‑Muslim hostility') that conflate critique of a religion with hostility toward its adherents, public institutions will sanitize or avoid legitimate debate to reduce legal and reputational risk. The result is a systemic chilling effect across universities, media, regulators and local government where scrutiny of religious ideas becomes risky. — If institutionalized, this form of regulatory definition‑creep will reshape what topics are discussable in public life and shift power toward groups that can leverage protections to deter criticism.