Muslims trust Britain more than most

Published on Thursday 7 May 2009 22:07

BRITISH Muslims are more likely to identify themselves with the UK than the rest of the population, according to a new survey.

The poll, by Gallup, found that 77 per cent of Muslims said they identified with the UK compared to just 50 per cent of the general public.

The findings show that in their confidence in government, financial insitutions, and the electoral process, Muslims also outscored the wider populace, with confidence in the military the only area where they scored lower.

The survey, conducted alongside interfaith body, the Coexist Foundation, saw 500 British Muslims interviewed face-to-face, with a telephone poll of 1,000 across the UK.

Whereas just 36 per cent of the general public regarded Muslims as loyal to Britain, 82 per cent of Muslims considered themselves so.

The report, part of an international survey, further showed that while 25 per cent of the general public agreed that people with different religious practices than theirs threaten their way of life, just 3 per cent of British Muslims agreed.

Osama Saeed, chief executive of the Scottish-Islamic Foundation, said he suspected Scots Muslims held even stronger feelings of identity towards the UK, and said the views of non-Muslims in the survey are a consequence of irresponsible media coverage.

"This can only be put down to the sometimes hysterical reporting of sections of the media regarding these issues," he said.

Professor Mona Siddiqui, director of the Centre for the Study of Islam at the University of Glasgow, said most British Muslims did not experience difficulty with their identities.