YouGov poll on eve of Ramadan shows Muslims’ commitment to ‘British values’ as Islamic Relief announces new government funding

YouGov poll on eve of Ramadan shows Muslims’ commitment to ‘British values’ as Islamic Relief announces new government funding

A significant majority of British Muslims believe in the core British values defined this month by the Prime Minister and are also proud to be British, according to a YouGov opinion poll conducted on behalf of the charity Islamic Relief. But the same poll, published on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, reflects an undercurrent of negativity towards Islam in the UK. A quarter of non-Muslims (26%) believe that Ramadan should not be openly celebrated in this country, and 62% of those who would give to international aid agencies admit to being unlikely to give to a Muslim charity – even after being told that in certain countries where the majority of people adhere to a particular faith, the political circumstances can mean that only charities that are affiliated with that faith are allowed access to crisis or conflict areas.

“This poll paints a very different picture of the British Muslim community from the extremist caricature that is sometimes peddled by certain politicians and in some sections of the media,” says the broadcaster Jon Snow, who is unveiling the poll findings in an outspoken keynote speech on June 26 at a multi-faith VIP dinner in central London to welcome Ramadan and celebrate Islamic Relief’s 30^th anniversary.

“Sixty-three per cent of British Muslims declare themselves proud to be British, while the number who do not share that pride is just 13% – less than the 17% of Scots who say the same. Seventy per cent of British Muslims believe in “freedom, tolerance of others, accepting personal and social responsibility, and respecting and upholding the rule of law” – the core values of Britishness as recently defined by David Cameron – while a tiny 6% do not.”

Jon Snow and Dr Mohamed Ashmawey, Islamic Relief’s Chief Executive Officer, will be speaking at the VIP dinner at Church House, Westminster.

“One thing that Ramadan and Islamic Relief have in common is that they both show Britain’s Muslim community at its best,” says Jon Snow. “British Muslims give over £100 million to international aid charities in Ramadan alone, and Islamic Relief has a proud history of harnessing that generosity to the benefit of millions of people in some of the world’s poorest countries. It is a pleasure to be part of communicating this good news story from the Muslim community, when so much media coverage seems to be negative headlines focusing on an extremist minority.”

This year, public support for Islamic Relief’s Ramadan appeal will be matched by the UK Government, which will double every pound that the public donates before 3rd August, up to a maximum of £5 million. Contributions from the public will help to alleviate poverty and suffering all over the world. The match funding from the government will fund an exciting new project that aims to transform 54 villages in the Blue Nile and West Darfur regions of Sudan.

Dr Mohamed Ashmawey says: “Sudan is where it all began for Islamic Relief, because we were set up in 1984 to respond to the famine there. We are delighted to announce in our 30^th anniversary year that our supporters can double their donations this Ramadan through match funding from the UK Government, enabling us not only to assist poor communities around the world but also to improve health, education, water and earning potential for over 113,000 people in Sudan.”

The aim of the new project in Sudan is to get beyond short-term fixes and help families rebuild their lives by making long-term improvements in the provision of clean water, education and healthcare, and by creating lasting opportunities for people to earn a living.

Almost three quarters of the people in the areas of Sudan being targeted can’t get clean water easily, so Islamic Relief will build 122 new water points close to people’s homes. Nearly half the population can’t get healthcare, so we’ll rebuild and stock clinics, train health staff and tackle malaria.

Many children don’t attend school due to long distances and poor facilities – especially girls, who are kept at home to fetch water and often get married young. So we will rebuild and equip schools near to girls’ homes, train teachers and provide basic facilities like latrines and school meals.

Most importantly, Islamic Relief is determined to ensure that these communities are able to support themselves.  So we will train women and young people in new vocational skills to help them earn a living, as well as supporting farmers and livestock owners with training and equipment. Farmers find it difficult to grow crops in such a harsh and hot environment, made worse by climate change, so we’ll teach communities to prevent crop fires spreading and plant new trees to keep land fertile.

Islamic Relief’s Ramadan appeal leaflets, advertisements and videos are dominated by the ‘double your donations’ message and the word ‘Alhamdulillah’ – ‘all thanks be to God’ in Arabic. “We want to give thanks for all the hard work of volunteers and staff over our 30-year history,” explains Dr Mohamed Ashmawey. “We want to give thanks for the blessing of match funding from the Government, which means we can help twice as many people this year. And we hope our donors will want to give thanks for all the good things in their lives by giving generously to those less fortunate.”

ISLAMIC RELIEF’S APPEAL PLANS INCLUDE:

• 200 ‘Alhamdulillah’ billboards around the country – plus 22 bus stops where mobile phone technology enables passers-by with a smart phone to hear a prayer
• Three live appeals on the Islam Channel – on July 1 ,12 and 23
• 30-second and 60-second TV advertising in English, Urdu and Bengali
• Three mini-documentaries focusing on Syria and on children around the world
• An offbeat video for social media starring  ‘Mr Beard’ – a donor who is single-mindedly focused on doubling his donation
• A repeat of the successful Cakes 4 Syria initiative, with volunteers doorstep-delivering delicious cakes and all the proceeds going to our work in Syria and with Syrian refugees
• A host of mosque collections, street collections and iftars across Britain.

SUMMARY OF POLL FINDINGS

Q1: Please imagine that you were considering donating money to an international aid charity. Would you prefer to donate money to an international aid charity that has a religious affiliation or one that has no religious affiliation, or would it make no difference?

Q2: Still thinking about donating to an international aid charity… In certain countries where the majority of people adhere to a particular faith, the political circumstances can mean that only charities that are affiliated with that faith are allowed access to crisis/ conflict areas. With this in mind, how likely, if at all, do you think you would be to donate to each of the following international aid charities?

Q3: To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

ends

For more information, to obtain pictures or footage or to arrange an interview, contact Martin Cottingham ([email protected] / 07702-940982).

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Islamic Relief is an international aid and development charity that aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people in over 30 countries, mainly in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities – regardless of race, religion or gender. Islamic Relief is one of the 14 UK charities that form the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) – see https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/AboutUs.aspx
• In its 30-year history Islamic Relief has helped 92 million people. This has included providing health care to 17 million people and educating over 300,000 children. Around 38,000 orphans are supported by Islamic Relief sponsors around the world.
• The month of Ramadan is a time when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and give to charity as they think about those less fortunate than themselves. British Muslims donate over £100 million to charity during Ramadan, and Islamic Relief receives around a third of its annual income during Ramadan.
• UK Aid Match is the Government’s scheme to give the public a say in how a portion of the aid budget is spent, by matching public donations to charity appeals for projects to reduce poverty in developing countries. UK Aid Match was launched in June 2011, and Islamic Relief has so far been awarded match funding for its 2012 and 2014 Ramadan appeals. Further details at https://www.gov.uk/uk-aid-match
• All poll figures are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 5,216 adults, of whom 2,370 were Christian, 71 were Muslim, 53 were Jewish and 2,437 said they did not regard themselves as following any particular religion. Fieldwork was undertaken between June 18 and 25 2014. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).