The BBC continues reacting to 'What British Muslims Really Think'

What British Muslims Really Thing also came up during the paper review on the Andrew Marr programme, and credit is due to Andrew Marr for not downplaying the story and not going along with some of the deflection tactics employed by his two paper reviewers.

Interestingly, Iain Dale ended up saying much the same as what Sally Hitchener said earlier on BBC Breakfast - that, anecdotally, the Muslims he speaks to in his daily life aren't like that. And Polly Toynbee simply tried to wish the Muslim problem away by saying it's a more general problem with older people and, very surprisingly, went on to suggest (hope) that the next generation of British Muslims will be like other young people - ie much more liberal than their parents on social issues. That's not something other reports into the views of young British Muslims have borne out, is it? They've tended to show that many young British Muslims are becoming more religious, more socially conservative, than their parents. So Polly seems to be engaging in wishful thinking. 

Andrew Marr: One other story that's caught my attention...front page of the Sunday Times again, under the masthead. It's this big poll of British Muslims and an article by Trevor Phillips, ex of the EHRC. 

Iain Dale: Well, it's interestingly on the...in the paper this is allied to a small article about Sadiq Khan, the candidate for Mayor of London, who, according to the Sunday Times, in 2004 said he wanted areas of Sharia law introduced in the UK, particularly on inheritance tax so it could be divided between wives. His spokesman now is insisting that he's always opposed Sharia law, says there's no place for Sharia law in the UK. You look at this survey and that's not the view of the majority of Muslims.  

Andrew Marr: Just read out some of those percentages for us. 

Polly Toynbee: Percentages. 'Wives should always obey their husbands', 39%; 'It's acceptable for British Muslims to have more than one wife', 31%. I think you've got to put this into some context, that if you look at older people who were born abroad...I mean, it is...quite a lot of that is quite like Britain 50 years ago.... 

Andrew Marr: Yes. Polygamy less popular, even in the 1950s... 

Polly Toynbee: Less popular,... 

Andrew Marr: ...though it depends which circles you moved in, but... 

Polly Toynbee: ,,,but the idea that wives should obey their husbands. I think a lot of people would have said that. A lot of older people would have said... 

Andrew Marr: And strong hostility towards homosexuality as well. 

Polly Toynbee: And the Church of England. Just look what the Church of England marriage service says: 'Love, honour and obey' . 

Iain Dale: I cover a lot of these Muslim issues on my LBC show and I have to say the people that phone in to talk about them - the Muslim callers - do not reflect that. I mean, they're very much sort-of integrated and all the rest of it but, of course, this survey will include all Muslims, maybe people who've come recently from Muslim countries. 

Andrew Marr: Half of Muslims want gay sex to be outlawed it says there. 

Iain Dale: Yeah.  

Andrew Marr: Yeah. 

Polly Toynbee: But that older people,. you know....I think that the next generation will be, you know, will be different. You know, older people among the white population also are very different to young people. 

Andrew Marr: At any rate, a very, very interesting read and well worth it.