38% of influential Londoners say they have no religion

The London Evening Standard has conducted a survey among 700 “influentials” – that is to say businessmen, innovators, politicians etc – in the capital to find out their opinions about the impact of the Muslim community on London. The first finding is that 38% of the respondents have no religion; 47% say they are Christian (quite a drop on the 72% claiming to be Christians in the census); 1% said Buddhist; 1% Hindu; 6% Jewish 1% Muslim; 0% Sikhs; 1% other; 1% don’t know and 4% prefer not to say.

On “faith schools” generally, only 20% thought they should be encouraged and expanded; 71% thought they should either be restricted or abolished completely. When asked specifically about Muslim schools, 12% said they should be encouraged while 77% thought they should be restricted or abolished completely.

On the question of veils, the answer was unequivocal: 90% said teachers should not be permitted to wear the veil when teaching. 84% said Muslim pupils should not be allowed to wear veils at school. 58% opposed the wearing of the full face veil anywhere.

The poll showed strong opposition to the censorship of images or words that might offend Islamic sensibilities and also to the designation of Eid as a public holiday. Almost three-quarters of the respondents thought Islam was to blame for the 7/7 bombings. 49% thought Islam a “generally intolerant faith”.

See full results here
See also:
Muslims “demonised” by media
Livingstone’s Islam report distorted
16 November 2007