Muslims in EuropeOverwhelming majority of British Muslims reject suicide bombers, terrorism: Survey
An in-depth survey found that 96 percent of British Muslims do not sympathize with radical Muslims who take part in suicide bomb attacks. The vast majority of those surveyed show similar levels of support to the wider British public in support for British institutions and a feeling of belonging to Britain. On some social and cultural issues, however, a large number of British Muslims are out of step with the wider population.
Aftermath of 2016 Jakarta suicide bombing // Source: commons.wikimedia.org
The survey of 1,081 British Muslims, commissioned by Channel 4 — and which is representative of the U.K. population and more accurate than other polls because it was carried out face-to-face and avoided going through umbrella organizations – found that 96 percent of British Muslims do not sympathize with radical Muslims who take part in suicide bomb attacks.
The vast majority of those surveyed show similar levels of support to the wider British public in support for British institutions and a feeling of belonging to Britain.
The broadcaster reports, however, that in terms of some social attitudes there were significant differences compared to the rest of Britain.
Channel 4 notes that an overwhelming majority of those surveyed expressed an explicit rejection of violence committed in the name of Islam. Ninety-six percent said they did not have any sympathy for suicide bombers and those committing other acts of terrorism as a form of political protest. Seventy-seven percent did not support introduction of Sharia law.
Seven percent, however, said they would support such laws.
The survey found other responses to be encouraging. Ninety-one percent of British Muslims felt a strong sense of belonging to their local area – a higher percentage than the national average of 76 percent of Britons. Also,88 percent of British Muslims thought Britain was a good place for Muslims to live and 86 percent felt a strong sense of belonging here.
Seventy-eight percent of British Muslims said they would like to integrate into British life.
On some social and cultural issues, however, a large number of British Muslims are out of step with the wider population. Fifty-two percent did not believe that homosexuality should be legal in Britain, and 47 percent said it was unacceptable for schools to allow homosexuals teachers to teach in schools.
Only 34 percent of British Muslims said they would inform the police if they thought somebody they knew was getting involved with people who supported anti-regime militants in Syria.
Trevor Phillips, former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, told Channel 4: “Hearing what British Muslims themselves think, rather than listening to those purporting to speak on their behalf, is critical if we are to prevent the establishment of a nation within our nation. Many of the results will be troubling to Muslims and non-Muslims alike – and the analysis of the age profile shows us that the social attitudes revealed are unlikely to change quickly.
“The integration of Britain’s Muslims will probably be the hardest task we’ve ever faced. It will require the abandonment of the milk-and-water multiculturalism still so beloved of many, and the adoption of a far more muscular approach to integration.”
