Muslims seeking to get hired in the UK are complaining of growing discrimination against them in the job market, getting the lowest chances of getting a managerial role, a new study has revealed.
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The situation was "likely to stem from placing Muslims collectively at the lowest stratum within the country's racial or ethno-cultural system due to growing Islamophobia and hostility against them,” Dr Nabil Khattab, of Bristol University, told The Guardian.
"They are perceived as disloyal and as a threat rather than just as a disadvantaged minority," he added.
"Within this climate, many employers will be discouraged from employing qualified Muslims, especially if there are others from their own groups or others from less threatening groups who can fill these jobs."
Dr Khattab was speaking about discrimination against the Muslim minority in the UK job market.
According to a research he performed with Professor Ron Johnston, Muslim had the lowest chance of being in work or in a managerial role.
For Muslim men, they were up to 76 per cent less likely to have a job of any kind compared to white, male British Christians of the same age and with the same qualifications.
Muslim women were up to 65 per cent less likely to be employed than white Christian counterparts.
The results were based on a research they did using data from the Office for National Statistics' Labor Force Survey of more than half a million people.
Unlike religion, skin color made little difference to the figures.
The only ethno-religious group with better work prospects than white British Christians were British Jews, with women and men 29 and 15 per cent more likely to be employed.
Fears
Researchers warned that discrimination against Muslims hit higher records when Muslims apply for better-paid managerial or professional jobs.
"If this persists, it could have long-term implications for the cohesion of the UK's multi-ethnic, multicultural society,” Dr Khattab said.
“The exclusion of well-qualified black and Muslim individuals could undermine their willingness to integrate in the wider society," he said.
Ethincities have also played into increasing discrimination against certain groups.
The researchers found only 23 per cent and 27 per cent of Muslim Bangladeshis and Muslim Pakistanis, respectively, had a salaried job.
White British Jews had the highest rates, with 64 per cent in salaried jobs, followed by Hindu Indians and white Christian Irish on 53 and 51 per cent respectively.
White British Christians, white British of no religion and black Christian Africans were all above 40 per cent.
“The main components of this discrimination are skin color and culture or religion. But color is dynamic, which means white color can be valued in one case, but devalued when associated with Muslims,” Dr Khattab said.
“Equally, having a dark skin color – Hindu Indians, for example – is not always associated with any significant penalty."
Hostility against British Muslims, estimated at nearly 2.7 million, has been on the rise since 2005’s 7/7 attacks.
Police data shows that 1,200 anti-Muslim attacks were reported in Britain in 2010.
A Financial Times opinion poll showed that Britain is the most suspicious nation about Muslims.
A poll of the Evening Standard found that a sizable section of London residents harbor negative opinions about Muslims.
