THE number of Scots who hold discriminatory attitudes towards Muslims has increased over the last three years following the terrorist attacks in London, new figures showed yesterday.
As increased immigration from around the world changes the social make-up of Scotland, the latest survey of attitudes showed the majority of people are willing to embrace different cultures.
But despite government campaigns to tackle racism, a hardcore of people continue to believe prejudice is acceptable. And while attitudes to gay people and women have improved, one in five people think civil partnerships are wrong and one in seven think a woman's place is in the home.
In particular, attitudes towards Muslims and ethnic minorities have deteriorated in recent years. Half of those surveyed considered the increasing number of Muslims in the country as a cultural threat and one in five feared ethnic minorities would take their jobs.
Huge rise in Scots with racist prejudices
Scots are becoming increasingly prejudiced against Muslims, according to a wide-ranging survey carried out after the terror attacks of July 2005 but before the strike on Glasgow Airport this summer.
Half of those questioned in the government study said Scotland would lose its identity if more Muslims come to the country - up on the 38% who said the same in 2003 when a similar survey was taken.
The number of Scots who would be unhappy if a relative formed a close relationship with a Muslim was also up over the three years, from 20% to 24%, but while almost one-third of Scots believe there is sometimes a good reason to be prejudiced - an attitude which is on the rise - the number of people who are prejudiced against gays and lesbians is decreasing.
The findings of the Scottish Government's 2006 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey were gathered from interviews with 1594 adults.
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12-12-2007, 11:16
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