Owning photos of a Muslim woman without her hijab must be made a criminal offense, MPs proposed.
The Women and Equalities committee said that photos of a Muslim woman without her headscarf must be considered without her permission to be 'non-consensual intimate images'.
Such photos must be treated the same as images for sexual abuse of children who can bear possession, the MPs said.
The proposals will deepen the concern that Islam is ready to win legal protection that is not offered to other religions under British legislation.
It comes after a planned definition of Islamophobia that was defended by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner because he risks 'a blasphemy law at the back door'.
The committee report, which was published today, concluded: “The government must make changes to the law of crime and the police to make the possession of non-consensual intimate images a violation.”
If the proposals are adopted by ministers, this can become a crime towards the end of the year.
The committee said that the law currently defines an 'intimate' image as an image that someone shows completely or partially naked, enters into a sexual action or uses the toilet.
The Women and Equalities Committee said that photos of a Muslim woman without her headscarf must be considered without her permission to be 'non-consensual intimate images'
Sarah Owen of the committee said Sarah Owen: “Non-consensual intimate image abuse is a deep personal crime that can have life-changing and life-threatening consequences”
But MPs concluded that 'abuse can also include material that is considered' culturally intimate 'for the victim, such as a Muslim woman who is depicted without her hijab'.
“The government must expand the legal definition to include such images,” said it.
'Non-consensual intimate image abuse is not always limited to sexually explicit content.
“For example, in some cultures, countries or religions, sharing a photo of someone without their religious clothing – or with their arm around another person – can be disastrous for the victim.”
An intimate picture should show someone without their 'specific clothing of religious or cultural significance' and being taken 'in circumstances in which an ordinary reasonable person would reasonably expect to get privacy'.
Creating or creating intimate images is already a criminalization, but “the need to tackle the possession … has so far been unqualified,” the report said.
Minister of the Ministry of Justice Alex Davies-Jones said last November that the Law Commission, which the government advises on legal changes, had previously decided against such a step and concluded that it would be “impossible to make a definition that suits everyone and that it could therefore lead to overcriminalization,” she said.
Sarah Owen from the committee said Sarah Owen: 'Non-consensual intimate image abuse is a deep personal crime that can have life-changing and life-threatening consequences.
'We welcome the government's proposals to make non-consensual intimate images a crime, but there remains a legal gap.
'The government must make changes to the Crime and the Police Act to make possession, as well as creation … a violation.
“This ensures that non-consensual intimate images receive the same legal treatment as the sexual abuse material of children.”
The committee consists of seven Labor Parliament members, an ex-Labour Parliament member who is now like an independent, two LIB DEMS and one conservative.
David Spencer, of the thinking tank policy exchange, said: 'Topping the problem of' revenge porn 'is clearly important but to expand this to so-called' cultural intimate 'images risks to expand criminal law too far.
'The police cannot be expected to wad in so -called' cultural 'issues in the neighborhood when officers already have difficulty in the volume of stabbing, sexual attacks and thefts that take place every day.
“The government must be careful with creating even more criminal offenses.”
The home office was approached for comment.
