Insular, extremist, mistrustful of the police and unwilling to integrate into British society? Muslims resent deeply the stereotype that caricatures their community increasingly. These are lies, they say: most Muslims are honest, moderate, loyal citizens, as angered as the next person by the antics of Abu Hamza.

“Prove it” is the response of their non-Muslim neighbours, fearful that the virus of fanaticism has infected even the most reasonable. And here, at last, are the figures to do so. Gallup is to release a poll indicating that Muslims in London are, if anything, more patriotic than the average Briton, identify strongly with their country as well as their religion, and place great trust in the institutions of British democracy — elections, the courts and the police.

They also well understand that a retreat into the ghetto of religiosity will not get them far: four in every five consider it is important to master English properly, get a better education and find a job.

There is a caveat, as there often is with opinion polls: this survey was taken in London. And the capital is a world of its own — more diverse, tolerant, cosmopolitan and, many might say, more accommodating than any other city in Britain. Would Gallup have found the same result in Oldham or Burnley?

Nevertheless, the findings are important. They underline points that are obvious, have been restated often but are used to bolster dubious contentions that Muslims have no interest in being good British citizens. The first is that respondents identify closely with their religion and do not see how its tenets could be a barrier to integration. Only 13 per cent say that women should remove the full face veil, although 55 per cent of nonMuslims think that they should.

The second finding, long obvious to anyone, is that Muslims subscribe to a more conservative social agenda, especially on sex. Three times as many non-Muslims as Muslims see nothing wrong with sex before marriage; the figure for homosexuality is even higher. Pornography, abortion and suicide all attract greater Muslim censure. Only on “honour killing” and crimes of passion are they slightly more tolerant, though the figures are tiny.

Does it matter? Liberals might argue that integration would be easier if all races and religions were as relaxed about sex as the mainstream. Perhaps. But a pluralistic and diverse society must be tolerant of all social views. What matters far more is that overwhelmingly Muslims — again, remember, in London — uphold the principles of democracy, abjure violence, are happy to live in mixed neighbourhoods and want to get on with their lives.

The lesson of the poll is that we should stop judging people through the prism of religion. Muslim or not, Britons vary hugely in judgments, attitudes and beliefs. So they should.

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