An ICM poll commissioned by the Guardian has revealed that the vast majority of Muslims (88 per cent) want to see workplaces in Britain accommodating Muslim prayer times as part of their normal working day.

The poll of 500 British Muslims was part of a Guardian exercise to gauge the mood of Britain’s younger Muslim generation. The research showed a high level of religious observance – just over half pray five times a day, every day.

Furthermore most Muslims want to see prayer times allowed in schools and some 61 per cent wanted Islamic courts – operating on sharia principles – “so long as the penalties did not contravene British law”.

• 33 per cent of the British Muslim population is under 16.


• 36 per cent of British Muslims are leaving school with no qualifications.


• 18 per cent of Muslims in England and Wales aged 16 – 25 are unemployed, compared to a national average of 13 per cent.


• 1.54 million is the Muslim population of Britain.


• 68 per cent of Bangladeshi and Pakistani households are living below the poverty line.


• 46 per cent of the British Muslim population are British-born.