The most loyal people in britain
BRITISH Muslims identify with the UK far more than the general public do, according to research published yesterday.
More than three quarters of British Muslims, some 77 per cent, said they identified with the UK – contrary to the widespread view that they are not loyal to this country.
That figure contrasts with just 50 per cent of the general public in a survey by Gallup and the Coexist Foundation.
The survey showed more than eight out of 10 Muslims said they were loyal to the UK while only just over a third, or 36 per cent, of the general public considered Muslims to be loyal.
The report also showed British Muslims have more confidence in British institutions, outscoring the general public in belief in the courts, honesty of elections, financial institutions and the media.
Confidence in the military was the only area where British Muslims scored lower than the general public.
The report also showed that British Muslims were less likely than the general public to find other religious practices a threat to their way of life.
Just over 25 per cent of the general public agreed that people with different religious practices than their own threaten their way of life compared with just three per cent of British Muslims.
Dalia Mogahed, executive director of the Gallup Centre for Muslim Studies, said: “This research shows that many of the assumptions about Muslims and integration couldn’t be more wide of the mark. They want to contribute to society.”
