Boarding on an EL AL flight from London to Tel Aviv, Jonathan noticed something different happening around him.

According to the ex GB News journalist Steven Edginton, a Home Office unit, RICU, has labelled 5Pillars a group of "Islamist Extremist Concern." If confirmed, this is an outrageous, unfounded and deeply offensive assessment which raises serious concerns about the discriminatory profiling of independent Muslim media. 5Pillars is a professional news organisation serving a predominantly Muslim audience. We represent mainstream Islamic perspectives, operate within British law and uphold professional journalistic standards. Our journalists are professionally accredited, and we were voluntarily regulated by the independent press regulator IMPRESS between 2018 and 2024. The examples for this assessment apparently cited by RICU are extraordinary because they involve entirely legitimate journalism. Let me address them: **Charlie Kirk:** We described him as Islamophobic and pro-Israel based on his public record. We stand by those descriptions while unequivocally condemning his assassination. Criticising someone's views does not mean condoning their murder. **Golders Green attacks:** We condemn damage against property and violence against innocent people of all backgrounds, including Jews, Muslims and Christians. But questioning whether attacks against Muslims receive the same political and media attention as attacks against other communities is entirely legitimate. **Islamophobic hate crimes:** Of course we highlight attacks against Muslims. We are a Muslim news organisation. Jewish publications cover antisemitism and Christian publications cover attacks on Christians. Why should Muslim media be treated differently? **Valentina Gómez:** Reporting on the Home Secretary's decision to exclude an openly anti-Muslim activist from Britain is plainly legitimate journalism. **Palestine Action:** Its proscription, related protests and legal challenges are major national news stories covered by mainstream media. Reporting on them, particularly for a pro-Palestinian audience, is not extremism. We are especially disturbed by RICU's apparent characterisation of reporting on anti-Muslim discrimination as promoting "grievance narratives." Are Muslims not entitled to raise concerns about Islamophobia? Are Muslim journalists not allowed to scrutinise government policy and challenge perceived double standards? RICU's own credibility must also be questioned. It is closely associated with the toxic, anti-Muslim Prevent strategy. In 2016, The Guardian exposed its involvement in covert government-backed campaigns targeting British Muslims, sometimes concealing the Government's role. So it is deeply concerning that such a unit should apparently be passing judgment on independent Muslim journalism. 5Pillars is not an extremist organisation. We reject terrorism and unlawful violence. We are an independent Muslim media outlet exercising our rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. We have never been informed by RICU or the Home Office of any such categorisation or given an opportunity to challenge it. We demand to know what evidence and criteria underpin this assessment, whether it has any formal status and why legitimate journalism is apparently being conflated with extremism. This raises fundamental questions about press freedom and the treatment of Muslim media in Britain. Our job is not to echo government narratives. It is to report the news, hold power to account and serve our audience. We will continue doing exactly that, without fear or favour.