LONDON // Mistrust of Muslims living in Britain has reached unprecedented levels, a survey to be published this month will show.
There is concern over the growing influence of Islam on the British way of life with 52 per cent of those surveyed believing that the country is becoming deeply divided along religious lines.
Based on interviews with almost 4,500 people, the British Social Attitudes Survey will show that only a quarter of native Britons now "feel positive" about the presence of an estimated two million Muslims in the UK, most of them immigrants from the Indian subcontinent.
Professor David Voas, the head of population studies at Manchester University who analysed the data, said concern about Islam was growing because of "the degree to which Islam is perceived as a threat to social cohesion".
Almost half of those interviewed in the government-funded survey said they believed that religious diversity had produced a negative impact on life in the UK.
Among the findings are that 55 per cent of the population would be strongly opposed to a large mosque being built in their area, while only 15 per cent would be against a new church.
Prof Voas and the researcher Rodney Ling write in the survey: "Far more people respond unfavourably to Muslims than to others. Second - and this is the crucial point - very few people are negative about any other group on its own.
"Of the people who feel cool towards Buddhists, 83 per cent are likewise cool towards Muslims. Of people who are neutral or positive about Muslims, a mere four per cent are negative about Buddhists. The same pattern can be seen when comparing attitudes to Muslims and Jews.
"Some of the antipathy towards Muslims comes from people with a generalised dislike of anyone different. But a larger subset of the population - about a fifth - responds negatively only to Muslims. Relatively few people feel unfavourable towards any other religious or ethnic group on its own."
The survey's results, which will be published in full towards the end of January, will inevitably raise concerns that the government's policies to promote social cohesion are simply not working.
Ironically, the findings come a month after another survey, conducted among Muslims across Europe, found that those in Britain were much more likely to identify themselves with their adopted nation. About three-quarters of UK Muslims regarded themselves as British, compared to just 49 per cent of French Muslims who felt any patriotism, and a paltry 23 per cent in Germany.
Prof Voas said: "Muslims deserve to be the focus of policy on social cohesion because no other group elicits so much disquiet.
"Opinion is divided and many people remain tolerant of unpopular speech as well as distinctive dress and religious behaviour, but a large segment of the British population is unhappy about these subcultures."
Recent statistical projections for the European Union have predicted that virtually all 27 countries, including Britain, will see large increases in their Muslim populations in the coming 40 years.
At present, Europe is home to 38 million Muslims, about five per cent of the continent's population. By 2050, that proportion is projected to rise to up to 20 per cent, partly as a result of immigration and partly because of the lower birth rate among Europeans.
Last week, two senior Christian clerics in Europe voiced their fears over the Islamisation of the continent. Cardinal Miloslav Vlk said in his retirement speech as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Prague that Europe would "pay dear" for having abandoned its spiritual foundations.
"Unless the Christians wake up," he said, "life may be Islamised and Christianity will not have the strength to imprint its character on the life of people, not to say society."
He warned that one motive for Muslims migrating to Europe was to bring their religion to "the pagan environment of Europe, to its atheistic style of life".
The cardinal said Europeans had brought the crisis upon themselves by abandoning European Christian culture for an aggressive, atheistic secularism.
In Britain, Lord (George) Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, said Christians had become too soft and should be more outspoken in defence of their beliefs.
Urging that priority should be given to Christian immigrants in tune with respect for the British way of life, he said: "I think we need a tougher church.
"We Christians are very often so soft that we allow other people to walk over us and we are not as tough in what we want, in expressing our beliefs, because we do not want to upset other people.
"I worry about my grandchildren. I want this country to carry on being one that values the Christian heritage, but most of all values the democratic standards and all that this country has fought over."
dsapsted@thenational.ae
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Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
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'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
Ultra processed foods
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Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau