French Cozy With Muslims, UK Leery: Poll

"In France we are very good at cultural integration," said Patrick Weil, political scientist at the University of Paris 1- Sorbonne.

The Harris Interactive survey, which involved 6,398 people in the six Western countries, found that most French would accept if their child wanted to marry a Muslim and were most likely to say they had Muslim friends.

It also found that most French believe that French Muslims had been the victims of unjustified criticism and prejudice.

"We are very bad in fighting discrimination, especially in high-level jobs," said Weil.

French Justice Minister Rachida Dati is facing a smear campaign by right-wing media and "jealous" politicians, who cannot swallow a Muslim woman of poor ethnic background holding such a prestigious post, Britain's Times reported on Tuesday, July 17.

In October of last year, thousands of youths of immigrant origin protested violently in the Persian suburbs at discrimination at workplace and educational institutions.

The construction of purpose-built mosques in France has become a mission impossible as rightists stand as the main roadblock and derail strenuous efforts made by Muslims to have a proper place of worship just like other communities in the secular country.

Paris triggered an international controversy in 2004 after banning hijab, which Islam sees as an obligatory code of dress, in public schools and institutions.

France is home to around six million Muslims, the largest Muslim minority in Europe.

Suspicious Britons

The poll found that Britons view Muslims with more suspicions than other Europeans or Americans.

It indicated that Britons were most likely to consider Muslims "a threat to national security".

British Muslims, estimated at nearly 2 million, have been at the eye of the storm since the 7/7 London terrorist bombings, carried out by four Muslim bombers.

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