(CNSNews.com) - An international charity working with Christians in Islamic societies has launched a campaign to oppose a plan by the British government to outlaw incitement on religious grounds.

Muslim groups, who have been pressing for such a move, welcomed the proposal by Home Secretary David Blunkett to "ban incitement to religious hatred."

Blunkett said over the summer that he planned to introduce a measure creating a criminal offense of inciting hatred against groups or individuals on the grounds of beliefs. Offenders would face penalties of up to seven years in jail.

Blunkett did not give details of the proposed bill, which he said would be brought before parliament "as soon as possible."

Previous attempts to pass such a law ran into opposition -- even comedians argued that they could be prosecuted for satirizing religion -- and failed to win approval in the upper House of Lords.

Critics of the move say incitement against minorities is already covered in rate hate laws, and see the proposal as a sop to Muslims in particular. They worry that it will stifle debate and criticism of other religions.

Barnabas Fund, a UK-based charity working with Christians in Islamic societies, has now launched a campaign to raise concern about the measure.

It noted that Iqbal Sacranie, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain - a mainstream umbrella body - said during a BBC radio program that defaming the character of the prophet Mohammed should be illegal under the proposed new law because it was an insult to Muslims.

"But the religion Mohammed taught is based on specific rejection of Christianity," Barnabas Fund said in a document.

"It is impossible to protect both these belief systems from 'insult' simultaneously."

The charity said the law could be used against modernist Muslims who called for reforms to Islam. It could also hinder efforts to work for greater rights and equality for Muslim women.

The law could furthermore be used to silence those who campaign against injustices endured by non-Muslims living under Islam.

"Most of the discrimination and indeed persecution which they suffer has its origins in the teachings of Islam itself."

Barnabas Fund cited teachings on apostasy and on dhimmitude -- the "protected" status non-Muslims have under Islamic law which denies them equal rights and makes them subject to humiliating regulations.

"The potential impact of this law is very grave indeed," Barnabas Fund director Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo said. "With the best of intentions and a noble aim the government may inadvertently open the door to a serious restriction of free speech in the UK."

The organization is urging supporters to write to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Blunkett and lawmakers to raise concerns about the proposed measure.

Proponents say legislation banning religious incitement is especially needed to prevent extremist groups from inciting violence against Muslims.

The Muslim Council of Britain says there is a loophole in current legislation which outlaws incitement to racial hatred, but not to religious hatred.

In a statement welcoming Blunkett's proposal, Sacranie said the loophole was being exploited by far-right groups which it said had adapted "their old racist rhetoric of yesteryear into a virulently anti-Muslim invective."

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