By IRNA,
London : Muslims in the UK, France and Germany feel more loyalty toward the country they live in than the general publics realise, according to a study of interfaith relations that draws on ongoing research covering up to 95 per cent of the world.
Muslim-West gap was found to be based more on differences in attitudes, including toward sexual liberalisation and gender issues rather than democracy and governance, the first annual Gallup Coexist Index 2009 suggested.
The gulf of difference was seen in the importance of religion in everyday lives, with faith the most important in Asia and Africa, compared to the least in Europe.
The report’s authors said the research shows that religion and national identity are complementary rather than competing and dispels the myth that Muslims do not feel loyalty to their country, despite misconceptions among the general public.
The executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies Dalia Mogahed called for a renewed debate about the views of the majority of Muslims, suggesting the report had broken down many of the myths about Muslim attitudes.
“This research shows that many of the assumptions about Muslims and integration are wide of the mark. European Muslims want to be part of the wider community and contribute even more to society.” said Mogahed, who was recently appointed to President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships,
The study found that European Muslims are striving to be more involved, with 96% of German Muslims saying that mastering the national language is necessary for integration, 87% of French Muslims saying finding a job is important, and 84% of British Muslims expressing the need to celebrate national holidays.
In the US, 33% of the public is classified as integrated, in Canada 31%, and in the UK only 20%, which Mogahed suggested can be explained by the historical importance of immigration in the development of Canada and the United States as modern nations.
“In many cases, national populations in which substantial percentages are considered integrated have governments that actively promote religious tolerance, recognize multiple religious traditions in official holidays and national celebrations, and enshrine religious freedom in the constitution, like in Senegal,” she said.
In the context of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which divides Jewish Israelis and Muslim and Christian Palestinians, a high percentage of Israel’s population (71%) were classified as isolated.
Israelis were seen as the least likely of Asian populations surveyed to say they always treat members of other faiths with respect and the least likely to agree that most religious faiths make a positive contribution to society.
Among Asian populations surveyed, Malaysians are most likely to agree most religions make a positive contribution to society, while Indians are the most likely to agree that they always treat people of other faiths with respect and that people of other religions always treat them with respect.
The survey has been conducted by Gallup and the Coexist Foundation, which was established in 2006 to promote better understanding between Jews, Christians and Muslims through education, dialogue and research.