Divided but linked by faith: Brexit and UK Muslims’ attitudes towards Europe

Résumé 0

While issues of race and diversity have significantly dominated the rhetoric of Brexit Leavers and have shaped Britons’ attitudes towards membership of the European Union (EU), ethnic and religious minority voters’ attitudes towards Brexit have received little investigation. This article aims to fill this research gap by focusing on Muslims. It examines what differentiates Muslim Remainers from Muslim Leavers by focusing on their motivations to vote for or against Brexit. Despite being the religious group that was the most supportive of EU membership, the EU referendum has also created identity divisions amongst Muslims and has shed light on their ambivalent attitudes towards Europe and the benefits of EU membership. Several cumulative and cross-cutting factors have polarised this group regarding EU membership, such as their different perceptions of Europe and European identity, as well as issues pertaining to discrimination and Islamophobia, immigration and the economy.We argue that, beyond the divisions, Muslims’ attitudes towards Brexit were strongly correlated with the concept of ‘linked fate’, with the religious paradigm being an important predictor of Muslims’ voting behaviour.