Inspired By Muhammad

Inspired By Muhammad is an awareness campaign, launched on 7 June 2010 in London, UK, to improve public understanding of Islam and Muslims. The campaign was launched against the backdrop of an opinion poll showing widespread public concern AbOUT the impact of Islam on contemporary Britain.

The campaign – “Inspired by Muhammad” – showcases how Muslims are inspired by their faith to contribute positively to British society. The public campaign focuses on women’s rights, social justice and the environment.

It was launched by TV presenter Kristiane Backer in a London cab decorated with the campaign's logo, in front of Tower Bridge on the River Thames.

The high profile media campaign, commissioned by the Exploring Islam Foundation, will include adverts at bus stops, tube stations and on London’s iconic cabs. A new website www.inspiredbymuhammad.com has been launched to advance a positive view of Islam’s ethical principles and core beliefs. The information on the site is highly selective and no alternative interpretations are presented.

YouGov Survey

Alongside the launch, a YouGov national opinion poll commissioned by the EIF at the end of May 2010 has been published.

It shows:

  • More than half the British population associate Islam with extremism (58%) and [...] (50%)
  • Fewer than one in seven believe that it is a religion of peace (13%) and only one in 16 a religion of justice (6%).
  • Less than one in five Britons believe that Islam has a positive impact on British society (19%) with almost a third believing it is a violent religion (33%)
  • Two-thirds of people believe it encourages the repression of women (68%)
  • Only 16% of the British population believe that Islam promotes fairness and equality and just 6% believe it promotes active measures to protect the environment.
  • Most people get their information about Islam through the media such as newspapers (41%) and TV (57%) yet a third of people questioned they would be interested in finding out more about Islam (33%).

Videos

The campaign also produced interviews of Muslims to discuss the topics of environment, social justice and human rights etc. The videos can be seen on the campaign website video gallery or on their YouTube page.