My new report for Policy Exchange shows that British Muslims are worlds apart from much of the general public over how they see the ongoing Iran conflict, which has escalated to a full-blown regional war.
Compared to the wider population, British Muslims have far warmer feelings towards Iran, my report shows. Why? While many are disappointed with Arab Muslim countries such as the UAE and Morocco for what they see as ‘cosying up’ to Israel, Iran is seen as taking the fight to it - both directly and through its proxies such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. Heightened anti-Israelism as a result of the Gaza war is contributing towards pro-Iran sentiments.
Despite the Iranian regime being a particular kind of Shi’ite military-theocratic dictatorship which recently carried out a brutal crackdown on its own citizens and has planned attacks on British soil, the anti-US sentiments and profound hatred of Israel among British Muslims - who are predominantly Sunni – is taking precedence.
This is to the point that British Muslims now feel warmer towards Iran than Saudi Arabia, with the latter being the birthplace of Islam but has thought of normalising ties with Israel in recent times.
Beyond the conflict, there are clear signs that British Muslims view the world order and international system differently to much of the UK public, viewing countries such as China and Russia far more favourably.
Despite the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang province and Tatar Muslims following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the anti-Americanism of British Muslims appears to play a powerful role in their feelings towards the two nations, which are ultimately revisionist powers seeking to reorient the balance of power and influence in the international system.
It is worth noting that British Muslims are, on average, younger than the general population. This is reflected in where they are getting their news and information on the Iran conflict. Much of the population continues to rely on the BBC and legacy broadcast news.
However, British Muslims are more likely than the general public to follow the conflict by watching channels such as Al Jazeera, sourcing information from social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, and listening to podcasts and YouTube commentators.
My new report on British Muslims reveals they are worlds apart on who the greatest enemies are - Rakib Ehsan | Getty Images
The evidence points towards the emergence of a highly politically-engaged and tech-savvy generation of British Muslims who branch out well beyond ‘legacy’ and ‘establishment’ sources of news – especially when it comes to international geopolitics. In some ways, they are well integrated in terms of being educated and having professional jobs.
But the younger cohorts of British-born UK Muslims are also more likely to identify as ‘Muslim first and foremost’ when compared to their elders – older generations who have naturally positive views towards British democracy due to their experiences of harsher economic, social, and political climates abroad. It is an ‘integration paradox’ of sorts.
The relatively youthful British Muslim population is becoming more assertive, confident, and political. In certain parts of the country, it is coming to play a decisive role in elections – one example being the recent by-election in Gorton and Denton, where British Muslims flexed their political muscle to help the Green Party win, punishing Labour and blocking Reform UK in the process.
The changing portrait of modern Britain is a very complicated one, especially when it comes to sensitive matters of foreign policy.
Much of the British public – both Muslims and non-Muslims – believe that the Iran conflict is already having a negative impact on social cohesion in the UK.
One of the greatest challenges we face is how to foster a more harmonious society in a very unpredictable world.
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