Thursday, September 7 2006 12:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Irate over the Labour government's policies on Iraq and Lebanon and support to the US on the 'war on terror', Britain's Muslim community is eagerly monitoring the ongoing clamour for Prime Minister Tony Blair to announce his timetable for quitting office.

Blair's policies have been hugely unpopular among the British public and particularly among the Muslims, who have made their opposition known by voting against Labour in by-elections and defections by Muslim Labour party members.

Last month, 37 Labour activists mainly Muslims from Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett's constituency of Derby South defected to the Liberal Democrats. The defection was in protest against her handling of the Middle East crisis.

A snapshot survey of British Muslim opinion, commissioned by Eastern Eye, a leading British Asian weekly, indicates there is a strong resentment against Blair, whom many of the community would like to see quitting.

The survey found 73 percent felt the battle against Islamic extremism would be helped if Blair resigned. A further 63 percent said he should stand down now. Just 11 percent want Blair to reverse his decision not to fight another election by staying on as prime minister.

As many as 68 percent think Britain's foreign policy is 'mostly' to blame for Islamic extremism in Britain. Many felt it was Blair's close relationship with US President George W. Bush that was having a negative influence on Britain's foreign policy. They believed Blair's successor would act more independently.

Reacting to the survey results, Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "These findings confirm our view Britain's foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East, cannot be left unconsidered as a contributory factor in the radicalisation of some young Muslims.

"Just as British Muslims have been called upon by others to acknowledge the reality of extremism among their number, it is equally important the government too recognises the role some of its policies have played in fomenting extremism in Britain today," he said.