Four in 10 Muslims want to see some sharia law in UK
MORE than four in 10 British Muslims want to see some aspects of sharia law enforced in the UK, a poll revealed last night.
Forty-three per cent of followers believed parts of the Islamic legal system should replace British law while only 22 per cent opposed the idea.
Researchers also found “deeply worrying” levels of belief in conspiracy theories such as blaming the US government or “Jews” for the 9/11 terror attacks.
The survey of 3,000 British Muslims showed similar views to the rest of the population on key issues including the NHS, unemployment and immigration. But there were stark differences on law and aspects of the terror threat.
When asked whether “particular aspects” of sharia law should be introduced “instead of British law” in the survey, 16 per cent “strongly” supported the idea while 25 per cent said they “tend to support” the idea. Some 13 per cent were inclined to oppose the idea while 9 per cent “strongly” opposed it.
Questions in the survey by polling firm ICM suggested sharia law could relate to civil law cases “such as financial disputes, divorce or other family matters” but could also cover other issues.
When it came to 9/11, 31 per cent of those quizzed thought the US Government was to blame while 7 per cent blamed “the Jews”. In contrast, only 4 per cent thought the terror group Al Qaeda was behind the attacks.
Writing a foreword for the report, Labour MP Khalid Mahmood said: “This readiness to believe in conspiracy theories and the mentality of victimhood to which it speaks is having a pernicious effect on British Muslims and the way they see the world.”
He added such views ensured the community stays “locked in a paranoid and at times fearful worldview”.
The findings were set out in a report commissioned by Westminster-based think tank Policy Research. Its co-author and counter extremism expert Dr Martyn Frampton said in nearly every walk of life, “British Muslims are no different in their views and priorities to their non-Muslim neighbours”.
He added: “However, the research found a deeply worrying belief in conspiracy theories such as 9/11. Unlike the general population, nearly a third of British Muslims believe the American government was responsible for the attacks on the Twin Towers, while a surprisingly tiny number attributed blame to Al Qaeda.”
However, the report found more Muslims condemned terrorism than the rest of the population – 90 per cent to 84 per cent – and 93 per cent had a fairly strong or very strong attachment to Britain. More than half wanted to fully integrate with non-Muslims in all aspects of life.
ANEW poll of British Muslims has shown that a worrying 43 per cent favour the introduction of sharia law. The use of Islamic courts staffed by religious leaders has already taken hold in parts of the country and this must not be tolerated. Too often sharia law denies rights to women and the existence of a parallel legal system administered by self-appointed religious elders runs contrary to this country’s democratic values.
The right to follow whatever religion one chooses does not mean the faithful can be allowed to ignore the law of the land. No matter what their background or beliefs everyone in Britain must follow British laws.