Almost 40 percent of British Muslims think MI5 and the police are at least partly to blame for radicalising teenagers who flee the country to join Islamic State, a survey has revealed.
The poll by Survation for Sky News also found that a quarter had some sympathy with those who join terror groups, including a third of young female Muslims.
The figures also show that eight percent have “a lot of sympathy” for terrorists like Jihadi John, but two thirds strongly condemned people who had joined Islamic State.
The survey of 1,001 British Muslims was commissioned at the same time as another survey of 1,001 non-Muslims. The figures showed that one third of Muslims feel they are viewed with suspicion by non-Muslims, while 44 percent of non-Muslims said are more suspicious of Muslims now than they have been previously.
Three quarters of Muslims believed their faith was compatible with British values, while 14 percent disagreed. By comparison, less than a quarter of non-Muslims thought Islam was compatible with British society while half said it was incompatible.
More than half of British Muslims said it was their responsibility to condemn terror attacks committed in the name of Islam, while a third said it was not. In terms of stopping more young people becoming terrorists, 44 percent said it was the families’ responsibility to stop them, while 15 percent said it was the government’s responsibility, nine percent said it was up to religious authorities, three percent the police and two percent schools.
Earlier this year, controversial pressure group Cage claimed that Mohammed Emwazi, the man identified as Islamic State killer Jihadi John, was radicalised due to harassment by security services. The claims were roundly criticised, with even Downing Street stepping in to call them “completely reprehensible”.
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