British Muslims most patriotic in Europe

Wednesday, 16 December 2009 17:42

The Open Society Institute today launched its new report on 'Muslims in Europe'. The study, a ‘comparative analysis of data from 11 cities in seven European countries', has found that British Muslims are the most patriotic in Europe.

The report 'while not representative of the situation of all Muslims in these cities...does capture a snapshot of the experiences of Muslim communities in select neighborhoods in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Antwerp, Berlin and Hamburg, Copenhagen, Leicester and Waltham Forest–London, Marseille and Paris, and Stockholm.’

According to the report, 82.4% of Muslims in Leicester and 72% of Muslims in London defined themselves as British, a higher figure than for Muslims in all other European states studied (see list below)

Leicester - 82.4%

London - 72.0 %

Amsterdam - 59.0 %

Marseilles - 58.0%

Antwerp - 55.1%

Paris - 41.0%

Stockholm - 41.0%

Copenhagen - 39.6%

Berlin - 25.0%

Hamburg - 22.0%

Other findings of the study:

Among Muslims surveyed in the seven countries, 61% have a strong sense of belonging to the country and 72% a strong sense of belonging to the city;

50 per cent of all Muslim respondents who identify themselves with the country where they live believe that they are not seen as belonging to that country by the wider society;

The majority of Muslims eligible to vote did vote in local and national elections, over 70 per cent of all eligible Muslims surveyed voted in local and national elections

Half of Muslim respondents reported experiencing religious discrimination over the last 12 months;

Muslims are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than non-Muslims;

On average, Muslim respondents viewed reporting by local media as more balanced, fair, and representative of Muslim communities than reporting by the national media;

Muslim respondents believe that the enormous media scrutiny of Muslims in different European countries has contributed to the negative reinforcement of stereotypes and prejudices;

Negative media coverage has also provided the impetus for individuals, civil society, and public entities to respond with greater engagement in media discussions and to focus on the need for encouraging and supporting more Muslims working in the media.

You can read the full report here.

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