A SIGNIFICANT minority of British Muslims believe they are at war with the rest of society, the largest poll of Muslims in this country suggests.

The Populus survey for The Times and ITV News has found that more than one in ten thinks that the men who carried out the London bombings of 7/7 should be regarded as “martyrs”. Sixteen per cent of British Muslims, equivalent to more than 150,000 adults, believe that while the attacks were wrong, the cause was right.

But the poll also revealed a stark gulf between this group and the majority of British Muslims, who want the Government to take tougher measures against extremists within their community.

More than half (56 per cent) believe that the Government has failed to combat extremism, a higher proportion than the 49 per cent of the general population who agree.

Nearly half (49 per cent) of Britain’s 1.6 million Muslims also think it acceptable for the authorities to monitor what is being preached in mosques more closely.

Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, said it was as if some groups were living in a different country.

“These results show that there are people within the Muslim communities who are so far away from the mainstream of society, as well as the mainstream of British Muslims, that they think that they are at war with the rest of the community. Thankfully, we know that a vast majority of Muslims are not in that place,” he said.

Assistant Met Commissioner Tariq Ghaffur, Britain’s most prominent Muslim policeman, said: “The poll shows that we do have a minority of people within our community who do effectively pose a danger.

“The tipping point between someone feeling anger and alienation and then engaging in the kind of atrocities we saw last July or being exploited by somebody who wants to commit a terrible act is very, very small.”

Populus interviewed 1,131 Muslim adults aged 18+ by telephone and online between June 1-16 for the poll.

It found that half of Muslims believe that Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war was the principal reason for the London bombings. An equal number (49 per cent) believe that further suicide bombings in the UK are likely.

Among the population as a whole nearly four in five (78 per cent) think a further attack is likely.

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