Attitudes of British Muslims
The vast majority of Muslims living in Britain feel strongly that they belong to Britain, feel part of British society and believe that Muslims make a valuable contribution to British society, according to new research conducted by MORI for The Sun. The poll, conducted on 21-22 July, examined Muslims' attitudes to being British and their reactions to the recent bombings in London. By a margin of two to one, Muslims approve of the way Tony Blair is handling the response to the 7th July terrorist attacks (46% approve 24% disapprove), but a majority believe that "the war in Iraq is the main reason why London was bombed" (53%). In contrast, just 14% say that "the war in Iraq had nothing to do with why London was bombed".
Topline Results
- 282 interviews were conducted on-street and in-home among British Muslims aged 16+
- Interviews carried out across 10 local authority areas across GB
- Fieldwork was conduced on 21st-22nd July 2005
- Data are weighted by age, gender and work status to reflect the profile of Muslims in Britain according to 2001 Census Data
- When results do not add up to 100%, this may be due to computer rounding or multiple responses
- An asterisk (*) denotes a finding of less than 0.5% but greater than zero
- Base: All adults (aged 16+) unless otherwise stated
Q1 Can I just check, which of these religious groups, if any, do you identify with?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| Sikh | 160 |
| Hindu | 160 |
| Muslim | 100 |
| Christian | 160 |
| None of these | 160 |
| Refused | 160 |
Q2 How strongly, if at all, do you feel you belong to Britain?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| Very strongly | 46 |
| Fairly strongly | 40 |
| Not very strongly | 9 |
| Not strongly at all | 2 |
| Don't know | 2 |
| Refused | 1 |
Q3 How strongly, if at all, do you feel you belong to Islam?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| Very strongly | 68 |
| Fairly strongly | 27 |
| Not very strongly | 4 |
| Not strongly at all | * |
| Don't know | 1 |
| Refused | - |
Q4 Which two or three of these words or phrases, if any, best describes how you feel about living in Britain today?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| Treated as an equal | 51 |
| Not accepted by White British people | 6 |
| Discriminated against | 11 |
| Accepted by White British people | 24 |
| Confident about the future | 26 |
| Not confident about the future | 24 |
| Proud of being British | 34 |
| Under suspicion | 18 |
| Welcome | 17 |
| Not welcome | 3 |
| Refused | * |
| Don't know | 2 |
Q5-11 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| 160 | Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither / nor | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | Don't know | Refused |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | % | % | % | % | % | % | % |
| Imams (religious leaders) are out of touch with the views of young British Muslims | 13 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 19 | 11 | * |
| Islam is incompatible with the values of British democracy | 4 | 10 | 22 | 19 | 33 | 11 | * |
| The Koran justifies suicide bombings | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 82 | 3 | 1 |
| Muslims make a valuable contribution to British society | 49 | 37 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | * |
| Religious schools or Madrassas are stirring up hostility to Britain among young British Muslims | 6 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 37 | 15 | 1 |
| Islam treats women as inferior to men | 4 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 51 | 3 | - |
| I feel part of British society | 43 | 34 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 1 | - |
Q12 Do you approve or disapprove of arranged marriages?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| Approve | 54 |
| Disapprove | 33 |
| Don't know | 12 |
Q13 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Tony Blair is handling the response to the terrorist attacks in London on 7thJuly?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| Approve | 56 |
| Disapprove | 24 |
| Don't know | 30 |
Q14 On this card are some statements about the recent bombings in London. Please tell me which one comes closest to your personal view?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| The war in Iraq is the main reason why London was bombed | 53 |
| The bombings in London would have happened even if Britain was not involved in Iraq | 10 |
| The war in Iraq had nothing to do with why London was bombed | 14 |
| None of them | 3 |
| Don't know | 20 |
| Refused | - |
Q15 Do you think that the recent bombings in London have made other non-Muslim communities view Muslims more or less favourably in your area, or do you think their view has not changed as a result?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| More favourably | 1 |
| Less favourably | 51 |
| Not changed | 43 |
| Don't know | 5 |
Q16-18 There are differing views about the balance between guaranteeing civil liberties and the need to protect the country against terrorism. For each of the following, would you say it is acceptable or unacceptable for British authorities to do this in the fight against terrorism?
| 160 | Acceptable | Unacceptable | Don't know |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | % | % | % |
| Detain suspected terrorists without trial | 21 | 67 | 12 |
| Place suspected terrorists under house arrest | 43 | 39 | 18 |
| Allow evidence obtained abroad by the use of torture to be used in British courts | 15 | 71 | 14 |
Q19 Do you personally know a Muslim whose religious views you would call extreme or radical?
| 160 | % |
|---|---|
| Yes | 7 |
| No | 90 |
| Refused | 1 |
| Don't know | 2 |
Q20 Would you be prepared or not to tell the police about that person? Base: All who know extreme/radical Muslim (21)
| 160 | n |
|---|---|
| Would be prepared | 6 |
| Would not be prepared | 12 |
| Refused | - |
| Don't know | 1 |
