A recent poll has highlighted that most people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities believe that religious groups in the country can live together harmoniously and have a positive view of other communities.
According to Focaldata, more than three in four BAME adults agree that “in general, the different ethnic groups that make up this country get on well”. However, the same poll conducted for Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group also noted that seven out of ten BAME individuals had regularly faced discrimination. The poll has been conducted across a sample size of 1001 adults and appears in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter movement which were propelled by the killing of George Floyd in America. The results appear merely 10 days after Boris Johnson launched a renewed commission to investigate racial disparity in the UK.
It recognises that racial tensions among Britain’s ethnic communities are more pronounced than those between white and non-white communities. However, 31% of Buddhists, 29% of Hindus, 18% of those with no religion and 17% of Christians have unfavourable views of Muslims. One in five Muslims have a negative view of Hindus and 18% are negative about Jews.
In addition, pockets of antipathy are revealed in certain communities, with 23% of respondents of Pakistani heritage having negative views of Jews and Hindus, and 27% of Chinese and 21% of Indians having negative views of Muslims.
In the meantime, 27% Indian respondents agreed that Islamist terrorism reflected widespread anti-British sentiment among Muslims. However, 33% of Hindus discussed a generally positive view of Muslims and 41% of Muslims have a positive view of Hindus.
However, more than half of those surveyed said they had witnessed or experienced racist comments in public or on social media, or had suffered racial abuse, in the course of the past year.
