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The new Policy Exchange report, backed by polling from JL Partners, should be a wake-up call for anyone worried about national cohesion and security in Britain. It found troubling attitudes among a sizeable slice of the UK’s Muslim population — from warm feelings toward proscribed terrorist groups to strong support for blasphemy laws and a preference for religious identity over British identity. These are not harmless cultural quirks. They matter for safety, politics, and the future of integration.
Poll finds alarming sympathies and worrying views
The numbers are stark and too important to shrug off. Roughly one in four British Muslims in the poll expressed a favorable view of Hamas, and nearly the same share felt positively about Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. One in six had a favorable view of ISIS, and one in seven of Al‑Qaeda. On top of that, respondents were far more likely than the general public to say Jews have “too much power” in media, banking, or politics. These are not fringe replies from a couple of respondents — they are broad enough to be politically meaningful.
Blasphemy, violence and single-issue politics
More than half of Muslim respondents supported criminalizing depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, and 63 percent wanted laws against burning the Qur’an. Worse, nearly a quarter said it would be legitimate to attack someone who burned the Qur’an or displayed images of the prophet. And when it comes to voting, a quarter of those polled said Gaza was their top issue in local elections — local elections, where councillors have no power to change anything in the Middle East. If local ballots are being decided by foreign-policy flashpoints, our political system is starting to look like a protest march with a polling station attached.
What this means for politics and public safety
Call it “Islamopopulism” or call it a mobilized single-issue bloc, the effect is the same: mainstream parties will face hard choices. The report suggests Labour has already lost ground as Muslim voters shift toward pro‑Gaza single-issue candidates. Big parties may fear being tagged by association, which could push British politics toward polarization and identity-driven voting. That leaves the country with two unpleasant options: appease those views or alienate a growing group of voters. Neither is acceptable if public safety and liberal values matter.
Policymakers should stop treating this as an academic debate. Sympathy for proscribed organisations and support for violence are security problems. Support for blasphemy laws and the criminalization of speech are constitutional problems. Britain needs tougher enforcement against extremist propaganda, better integration and civic education programs that emphasize shared values, and robust defense of free speech and equal treatment under the law. Political leaders must have the courage to call out dangerous ideas while building real bridges — not give in to silence or tokenism.
