Literature and research

New Research gives insight into relationships between Muslim Scots and non-Muslim Scots
Six out of ten of Scots believe that Muslims are integrated into everyday Scottish life, a survey commissioned by British Council Scotland has revealed. A poll conducted with over 1000 Scottish people also found that 46 per cent of those questioned think that Muslims living in Scotland are loyal to this country while 33 per cent think they are not.

The research – which included people who had previously lived south of the border – revealed that both Muslim and non-Muslim Scots believed that integration in Scotland was easier than in England. This was attributed to three main factors – small numbers of Muslims, less fear of terrorism and the particular features of Scottishness (Scottish people were seen as typically very friendly, sociable, humorous, honest, open and straightforward).

However, the most common negative feature of Scotland, mentioned predominantly by Muslims but also by non-Muslims, was the dominance of alcohol in Scottish culture. This was seen by both as major practical barrier in the integration of Muslims into Scottish life. The research was conducted as part of British Council’s Our Shared Europe programme, which aims to tackle the growing mutual mistrust between Muslim communities and wider European society – seen as one of the major cultural challenges facing Europe and the UK.

The study also showed that 66 per cent of Scots think that the attempted bombing of Glasgow Airport in July 2007 had made people in Scotland less tolerant of Muslims, while 48 per cent think that Scotland would begin to lose its identity if more Muslims came to live in Scotland. The research was conducted with a representative sample of 1000 Scottish respondents –– in February 2010.

The poll was conducted by Ipsos Mori Scotland and commissioned by British Council Scotland – the world’s leading cultural relations organisation.

British Council Scotland Director Paul Docherty said: “As recent events across Europe have shown the nature of a diverse society are deeply complex and can spark divisions. It has often been claimed that Scotland is a more tolerant nation than many of its European counterparts and we thought that this was an important question to examine.
Read the summary report (pdf)
Independent Commission on Turkey: Turkey in Europe: Breaking the Vicious Circle
The second report of the Independent Commission on Turkey analyses the key developments in EU-Turkey relations and puts forward concrete steps necessary to revive negotiations.

Despite a promising start to negotiations in 2004, the process to converge Turkey with Europe has developed a vicious circle: continued negative comments by European political leaders, combined with growing public hesitation about further EU enlargement, have deepened resentment in Turkey and slowed the necessary reforms. The report argues that this vicious circle must urgently be broken, in the interest of both Turkey and the EU. European governments must honor their commitments and treat Turkey with fairness and the respect it deserves. On its side, Turkey has to re-engage in a dynamic, broad-based reform process, thus confirming that it is willing and serious in its ambition to join the EU.
Electronic version:
- www.independentcommissiononturkey.org/report_2009.html
Zamila Bunglawala: Valuing Family, Valuing Work: British Muslim Women and the Labour Market
This report on second generation British Muslim women shows that although most want to work only 49% of them have a job - and the rest face severe barriers. The report, launched in November 2008 in London, uses previously unpublished data of the employment levels of second generation British Muslim women from the 2001 Census and 2005 Annual Population Survey (APS), and highlights employment disadvantage in the UK's nine Regional Development Agency (RDA) areas from a survey of second generation British Muslim women conducted for the report.
Electronic version:
- www.youngfoundation.org/files/images/Final_Valuing_Family_Valuing_Work_Oct_08_0.pdf
EU-MIDIS: European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey 2009
EU-MIDIS is the first ever EU-wide survey of immigrant and ethnic minority groups’ experiences of discrimination and victimisation in everyday life. Addressing the lack of reliable and comparable data on minorities in many EU countries, the survey examines experiences of discriminatory treatment, racist crime victimisation, awareness of rights, and reporting of complaints. EU-MIDIS involved face-to-face interviews with 23,500 persons from selected immigrant and ethnic minority groups in all 27 Member States of the European Union. 5,000 persons from the majority population were also interviewed to compare the results.
Electronic version:
- http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/attachments/EU-MIDIS_Techn-Report.pdf
Gallup Coexist Index 2009: A Global Study on Interface Relations
The study offers insight into the state of relations between people of different religions around the world. Created in partnership with the Coexist Foundation, it marks Gallup's first report of public perceptions concerning people of different faiths. In addition, the report provides an in-depth analysis of attitudes regarding integration among Muslims and the general public in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Electronic version:
- www.muslimwestfacts.com/mwf/118249/Gallup-Coexist-Index-2009.aspx
Tarek Fatah: Chasing a Mirage
The Tragic lllusion of an Islamic State. Wiley, 2008.