Is this yet another harbinger indicating simmering Muslim problems in the UK? Will it happen here?Over 9 in 10 Muslims oppose Britain's foreign policy: poll London, Oct 26, IRNA
UK-Muslims-Survey
British Muslims are being marginalized by Prime Minister Tony Blair's government foreign policy, with over 90 percent of the country's 1.8 million community saying it did not represent their views, according to a new poll.
A survey carried out by the anti-racist 1990 Trust found that only 1.6 percent of respondents in the poll of 1,213 Muslims said that they agreed with the British government on its foreign policy.
Over 93 percent said that the US Administration influenced UK foreign policy too much and over 80 percent believed the so-called war on terror is a war on Islam.
Ruhul Tarafder of the 1990 Trust said one of the main findings of the report is the importance British foreign policy plays in the lives of Muslims.
"In many ways all roads lead to foreign policy, with 92 percent of those surveyed disagreeing with policies pursued by Tony Blair's government," Tarafder said.
More than four out of five agreed that Muslims had become more politically radicalized in recent times, but in the form of attending demonstrations and being disillusioned with police rather than getting involved in violent actions.
Almost three-quarters also believed that this radicalization not only affected Muslims but also non-Muslims, who are opposed to Blair's foreign policy.
Nearly 80 percent said they felt there had been an increased threat of terrorism in the UK since 9/11, but unlike the government, a clear majority suggested that the main reason was due to Britain's foreign policy.
Some 73 percent of Muslims said that they either agree or agree strongly that if American and British troops were to leave Afghanistan and Iraq, the threat of terrorism in the UK would decrease.
An even greater number, 78 percent believed that the situation in Palestine was a cause for radicalization in the UK, while over 90 percent agreed that Israel was a terrorist state.
A similar number also said that Blair and US President George W Bush were sponsors of state terrorism, but less than 20 percent thought that the UK and US leaders represented Christians.
Less than 10 percent of Muslims believed that the mainstream media representation of events in the Middle East was accurate, compared with over 75 percent who said it was either consistently biased or was influenced by government and other authorities.
Unlike some mainstream polls, the latest survey found that there was almost no support for terrorism amongst the Muslim community and that just one percent of those surveyed supported the 7/7 London bombings.
The 1990 Trust said it believed its survey reflects the real views of Muslims, saying that other polls "attempted to generate headlines claiming more support for terrorism than is actually the case."
"We believe this survey into the views of UK Muslims is one of the most comprehensive ever produced, and gives new insights into a range of issues," Tarafder said.
http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-20/0610260978105736.htm
