A third of Britons believe: 'You can't be British AND Muslim'

A third of Britons believe: 'You can't be British AND Muslim'

Last updated at 16:06pm on 20th August 2007 Comments (1)

Only two thirds of Britons believe it is possible to be both a Muslim and British, fewer than many other Western countries.

Britons are also more suspicious of Muslims than either Americans or other Europeans, according to a new report in the Financial Times today.

The report, carried out by U.S research firm Harris Interactive, shows that the London bombings of July 7th 2005 as well as subsequent terrorist bomb plots have turned many Britons against Muslims.

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Muslim protesters in London this year: the report showed that many Britons are suspicious of Muslims

More than half of Britons also expect a "major terrorist attack" within the next 12 months, while of those polled in France and Germany only 15-18 per cent predicted a large attack.

However, despite these results, the poll also appears to show that Muslims are better integrated in Britain than in many other countries.

Parents in Britain are far more likely to accept their child marrying a Muslim or having Muslim friends.

In the U.S, 40 per cent of people said they would object if their child wanted to marry a Muslim.

Despite the recent race riots in France, it was the French who were the most at ease with their Muslim population with 70 per cent saying that it was possible to be both Muslim and French.

Professor Anthony Glees, director of the Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies at Brunel University, said: "This is fresh evidence that the majority of British people are fair-minded and welcoming.

"But what they don't want is the development of separate societies, a Muslim Britain and a Christian Britain.

"They are opposed to way some Muslim radicals have interpreted Britain's liberal attitudes as a licence to set up a separate state within a state.

"This is something the great majority of Muslims who do not have radical views should not."

The poll, taken online among 6,398 people in six countries, showed that just over 40 per cent of people in Britain thought it was possible to be both a Muslim and a British citizen.

Nearly half those asked in this country said Muslims have too much political power, double levels of concern in France, Spain or America. More than four out of 10 denied that Muslims suffered prejudice or unjustified criticism in Britain.

A further one in five were not sure about that Muslims were really exposed to what lobby groups call 'Islamophobia'.

Professor Glees said: "It comes as no surprise that people are tolerant in their personal lives. People appear to start to worry when issues of personal faith become a political stance rather than a private matter."