LONDON,
March 16 (IslamOnline.net) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair has paid
a heavy political price due his role in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq as
Labour’s share of the British Muslim vote has fallen by a half, a
British poll showed Monday, March 15.
The
traditional Muslim support for Labour slumped from 75 percent at the
last general election to only 38 percent now due to the Iraq war, which
has also tarnished the image of Blair in the eyes of the Muslim
community, according to a Guardian/ICM poll.
Most
“disillusioned” former Labour Muslim voters have switched to the
Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, added the survey, which was
published by British daily The Guardian.
The
poll, which is based on interviews with 500 British Muslims, also said
that the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives would pick up 36
percent and 25 percent of the Muslim vote respectively.
More
than 70% of the Muslim community voted for Labour in general elections
in the 1980s and 1990s compared with 14% for the Conservatives, 10% for
the Liberal Democrats and 1% for other parties.
The
poll also said that more than 80 percent of the Muslim community is
against the war with a strong feeling that American and British troops
should get out of Iraq immediately.
Up
to 55 percent of the polled also believe that the war has pitted them
against British non-Muslims.
As
for Blair’s personal rations, 75 percent of the polled said that they
are dissatisfied with him.
An
apparel poll found that 57 percent of the Britons were not happy with
his performance.
Opposition
To Al-Qaeda
The
ICM survey also showed that the overwhelming majority of the 1.6 million
British Muslims - 73% - are firmly opposing Al-Qaeda network.
A
13 percent, however, believed that any future Al-Qaeda attacks on the
United States would be justified.
But
Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain
(MCB), said the Muslim support of such attacks would be “much, much
lower” although British Muslims were “much more frustrated than the
general population with U.S. foreign policy”.
