More than half of UK Muslims experienced religious discrimination in past year
More than half of UK Muslims experienced religious discrimination in past year
———————————
A new report has found that more than half of Muslims in the United Kingdom experienced prejudice or discrimination because of their faith over the past year, while a majority still consider Britain a suitable place to live and practice their religion.
The report, titled “Understanding Anti-Muslim Hostility: Foundations for Action”, was published by British Future and the British Muslim Trust. It was based on surveys of 1,013 Muslims in the UK and 2,000 members of the wider population.
According to the findings, 56% of Muslims surveyed said they had faced religious discrimination in the previous 12 months. Around 27% reported experiencing hostility in public spaces, while 19% encountered discrimination in workplaces or public institutions, including the National Health Service (NHS). Additionally, 34% said they had experienced anti-Muslim abuse or hostility on social media.
The report also highlighted increased security concerns among Muslims following last year’s “Unite the Kingdom” protests, with 61% of Muslim respondents saying they felt more worried about their personal safety afterward. The figure rose to 69% among Muslim women.
Despite these concerns, 73% of Muslims said Britain remains a good place to be Muslim, while 75% of Muslims and 57% of the wider population agreed that positive coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims is possible in British communities.
The study found that 17% of the British population held hostile views toward Muslims, including the belief that increasing numbers of Muslims threaten British culture. Meanwhile, 19% said British-born Muslims should not be considered as British as white non-Muslim citizens.
However, 63% of respondents acknowledged that anti-Muslim prejudice exists, and 61% supported government action to combat hatred and discrimination, while emphasizing the need to balance efforts against hate speech with protection of freedom of expression.
