A minority think religion is a force for good in Britain

"Only 45% of people consider that religion is a force for good in society in Britain according to a poll taken in the wake of the recent terrorist incidents in Britain. The poll also showed that 71% of people think that the Glasgow car bomb has given Islam a bad name; and 54% think it has damaged the reputation of religion in general.

Young people are the group most likely to view Islam as a violent religion. 28% of 18-24 year olds believe that Islam is fundamentally a religion of war which sits uneasily with modern Western culture, compared with 17% of the population overall and only 13% of those aged 65+. Less than half of all 18-24 year olds (48%) see it as a religion of peace, compared with 60% or over for every other age group.

Despite the Glasgow Airport bombing, Scots are the most positive of all regions towards Islam. Only 7% regard it as warlike, while 69% do not.

The research was carried out on behalf of the Theos think-tank. Its director, Paul Woolley said: "The trend that will alarm the Government and community groups most is that young people, who are generally more positive about spirituality, are so much more negative about Islam than the population as a whole.""

National Secular Society, Fri, 13 Jul 2007