'Iraq invasion led to UK bombs'
2005-07-26 12:13
London - Nearly eight out of 10 Muslims in Britain believe British participation in the invasion of Iraq sparked the recent London bombings, a poll released on Tuesday revealed.
One in five surveyed said a family member had faced hostility or abuse since the July 7 attacks that killed 56 people including the four bombers.
The ICM poll for The Guardian newspaper, conducted before Thursday's failed second wave of bomb attacks on London's transport system, found 58% agreed "a lot" with the proposal that Britain's participation in the United States-led March 2003 invasion of Iraq caused the recent London attacks.
About 21% agreed with the suggestion 'a little' and 10% "not at all".
The survey comes a day after Ian Blair, the head of London's Metropolitan Police, held talks with British Muslim leaders to offer reassurances following the shooting dead of an innocent Brazilian man by officers who feared he was a suicide bomber.
Half those polled thought Muslims were not doing enough to stop extremists infiltrating their communities, but 38% thought they were.
Of those surveyed, five percent said further suicide attacks would be justified but 81% said they would not.
Fifty-two percent backed excluding or deporting foreign Muslims inciting hatred while 38% would support letting them stay.
About 93% said violence had no place in political struggle.
ICM polled a random sample of 500 Muslims in Britain by telephone between July 15 and 19.
- AFP