Islamophobia 'going mainstream' as poll finds 31% think religion poses a threat

Islamophobia has gone mainstream, with liberal, middle class voters also expressing anti-Muslim views an anti-racist group has argued.

People continue to see Muslims overwhelmingly more negatively than any other religious group according to research with 31% of the population believes that Islam poses a threat to the British way of life.

Some 18% of people have an extremely negative view of Muslims according to a poll by anti-racist group Hope Not Hate.

There’s a general decrease in the share of people who see Islam as a serious threat to Western civilisation.

London Central Mosque in Regent's Park (file photo) (Barcroft Media via Getty)

44% agree, down from 52% in our 2017 Fear and HOPE poll, alongside a decrease in concern about islamist extremism.

But there’s also a huge age gap in perceptions of Muslims.

Only 8% of 18-24 year olds see Muslims extremely negatively compared to 22% of all people aged over 50.

Conservative Leave voters are among those with the highest proportion who see Muslims very negatively (26%).

A huge 44% of Conservative voters see Islam as a threat, with only half that amount (22%) saying it is compatible.

A total of 6,118 adults were polled by YouGov between 26th April - 1st May 2019.