Most British Muslims believe more should be done to improve relations between the UK’s different religious communities, according to a research forum on faith.
The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) looked at the attitudes and social contributions of British Muslims living in the UK. The survey found 71% of British Muslim respondents believed more work should be done to improve relations between different faith groups, and just 22% believed the right amount was being done.
The research also found 86% of British Muslim respondents believed Britain was a good place to live in terms of opportunities to progress, compared with 70% in a wider population survey.
Dr Jake Scott, the secretary of the IIFL, said: “This research comes as a timely intervention in an increasingly confusing public conversation on faith, Britain, and Islam. Our research shows that Muslims feel overwhelmingly optimistic about Britain’s future, are happier here than in most other European nations, and feel that they have the freedom to practise their faith whilst participating in public life.”
Nadeem Afzal, from Birmingham, who was one of 28 people interviewed for the report, said: “Here British Muslims are still able to practise their faith openly and freely … Growing up, the nextdoor neighbours on the right were British Indians, and on the left were a white British family, and all of us got on really well … certainly there are no ‘no-go’ areas that politicians talk about. That’s certainly not the case at all.”
Salma Khanam, a British Muslim living in east London, expressed similar sentiments. “Britain is a diverse and multicultural society … That’s the beauty about being in Britain, we all embrace that there are other religions,” she said.
Scott said the report did show there was “room for improvement”. He said: “With so many Muslims saying that more needs to be done to improve relations between faith communities, there is a clear need for greater understanding of the diverse and complex set of Muslim communities in Britain.”
In particular, some of those interviewed for the report emphasised the “negative portrayals” of Muslims in the media, the increase in anti-Muslim prejudice, and “smaller towns being less welcoming or overtly hostile” in comparison with metropolitan areas.
Khanam, who wears a hijab, said she had experienced people looking at her family when on holiday in less diverse parts of the country. She said: “You do get that slight feeling that maybe they’re not accepting … We do get a lot of looks … but no one’s ever said anything or done anything.”
The survey by the IIFL was taken before comments made by Conservative MPs, including Suella Braverman and Lee Anderson, which were condemned for being “Islamophobic” and “anti-Muslim”.
Tell Mama, a charity that records anti-Muslim incidents, said Islamophobic hate more than tripled during a four-month period from 7 October. Muslim women were targeted in two out of three incidents the charity recorded.
The poll also found three in four British Muslim respondents reported giving a charitable donation in the past year leading up to the survey, compared with 68% for the wider population.
Khanam, who is managing director at the women-led anti-poverty charity Aishah Help, which supports disadvantaged communities, said: “Zakat [the Islamic obligation of almsgiving] is known as charity. This is one of the fundamental pillars in Islam … The aim is to purify one’s wealth and ensure the economic wellbeing of the entire community.”
Techne UK, a member of the British Polling Council, was commissioned by the IIFL to conduct two surveys: one that polled 1,001 British Muslims and another which surveyed 1,012 people who were representative of the general population.
