Religious and National Identity as Predictors of Attitudes towards the 7/7 Bombings among British Muslims: An Analysis of UK Opinion Poll Data

Using data from a 2006 opinion survey of British Muslims (N = 1000), this study examined the role of importance of Muslim and British identity as proximal predictors of whether respondents viewed the 2005 London bombings as justified. We further explored the extent to which religious and national identity and support for terrorism were predicted by context (the concentration of Muslims in the area) and contact experiences with non-Muslims. The role of these variables was assessed over and above relevant demographic variables (gender, age, and SES). Structural equation modelling revealed that while there was no significant relationship between Muslim identity and support for the attacks, British identity was significantly negatively related to support. Having contact with non-Muslims was positively related to importance of British identity, negatively to importance of Muslim identity, and also directly predicted reduced support for the attacks, The concentration of Muslims in the area was positively related to the importance of Muslim identity and negatively to contact with non-Muslims. These findings are discussed in relation to recent efforts to integrate Muslims more into British society.