Satanists and pagans will enjoy the same protection as Christians under new laws banning incitement to racial hatred published yesterday.

Even atheists will be protected by legislation which aims to prevent people being victimised for their "beliefs".

Home Office Minister Paul Goggins said: "It is any religious belief or lack of belief."

The law is intended to extend protection from incitement to racial hatred, which already exists, to religions. It means Muslims will be treated in the same way as Sikhs and Jews.

However, it is opposed by Conservatives, who say it will be counter-productive, and TV star Rowan Atkinson, who fears it will leave comedians open to prosecution.

Mr Goggins expects just one prosecution a year but insists the law would be a "line in the sand" which could have prevented the riots that swept through northern towns in 2001.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said the legislation would be "massively counter-productive" and "seriously undermine freedom of speech".

"Aggravated crimes against religious groups are already protected under existing law whilst this new law would technically prevent what many people may regard as reasonable criticism of devil worshippers and religious cults," he said.

Previous attempts to introduce the offences have been rejected by the Lords.

Mr Goggins insisted that he wanted to win peers over but signalled that the Government was ready to use the Parliament Act to force the measures through.

The move has been welcomed by many faith groups but Shadow Attorney General Dominic Grieve predicted they would be disappointed with the results.

"The Government has raised expectations about the impact of this law but now say there will be very few prosecution," he said.

"Were this law to pass, we are likely to see many religious groups trying to get other religious groups prosecuted, which will inflame community relations rather than make them better."

Critics fear the laws will mean more censorship and cite the rows over BBC2's screening of Jerry Springer: the Opera and the Sikh protests over the play Behzti.

Black Adder star Rowan Atkinson says it undermines free speech and will gag comedians.

But Mr Goggins said: "It will not stop people who can tell jokes - and I'm not one of them - from telling jokes.

"It does not stop people poking fun or causing offence. It is about stopping people from inciting hatred."

Comedian and actor Stephen Fry spoke out against the laws last night.

"It makes no sense," he told BBC Radio 4. "Religion, surely if it is worth anything, doesn't need protection against anything I can say."