Despite their disenchantment with the nation's mainstream politics, young Muslims in Scotland are growing more active in regional and international affairs.

Researchers interviewed Muslims in Glasgow who were between the ages of 14 and 18 to find out how much their personal experiences influenced their political participation.

According to a related 2017 study, young Muslims were inspired by Scottish nationalism and engaged in some kind of political activity, but they were also worried about political representations and the media.

There was also a recognition from them that everyday experiences of Islamophobia made participation in public life a challenge for many.

The new study, which was carried out by Newcastle University alongside the Institute for Economic and Social Inclusion at the University of Sunderland, found Scottish politics and Scottish independence were less of an issue although there was a generally positive view of more Muslim politicians in leading roles at Westminster.

Humza Yousaf became the first Muslim First Minister of Scotland while Anas Sarwar leads the Labour Party.

Many participants in the research doubted whether that would make a difference and were unsure that taking part in elections could bring lasting change.

They also feared that work in areas such as anti-racism and public safety hadn’t moved forward over the course of the last decade.

Instead, young Muslims discussed about how they play an active role in their communities while others took part in awareness raising in relation to anti-racism, migrant rights and Islamophobia.

This was often done through local mosques, schools or community groups and included issues ranging from cystic fibrosis research to disaster relief following earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

The issues in Palestine in particular have also increased awareness and interest in global issues.

Many young Muslims felt there was a racist double standard in a lot o the coverage of the conflict in Palestine and felt there was negative, unbalanced and unsympathetic reporting of Muslims in mainstream media.

Many young female participants said they had experienced Islamophobic bullying at school and it was often related to religious clothing such as headscarves and hijabs.

Professor Peter Hopkins, professor of social geography at Newcastle University, said: “This research took place against the backdrop of Black Lives Matter, the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and increased global instability, so it was not surprising that young Muslims felt that global politics was threaded through their lives through their own identity and family background.”

Dr Robin Finlay, Partnerships Manager and Research Associate in the Institute for Economic and Social Inclusion, University of Sunderland, added: “Comparing this report to our 2017 research highlights the evolving nature of young Muslims’ political interests.

“In 2017, many young people were strongly motivated by the prospect of Scottish independence, whereas our recent findings reveal a declining engagement with independence debates. Nonetheless, the research underscores the enduring issue of Islamophobia in the everyday lives of young Muslims’.

Dr Joel White, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Newcastle University noted: “Our research demonstrates that many young Muslims in Scotland feel let down by mainstream political parties and those in power, particularly in terms of the gap between political rhetoric around anti-racism and the lack of concrete actions to address this in their schools and communities.

“They connected this to what they saw as a shameful political silence around Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which for many of them represented a key formative moment of engaging in protest and activism.”

The report was launched at an event hosted by Community Policy Forum and attended by key figures including Dr Zabir Ahmed, MP for Glasgow South West, and Linsay Taylor, Chair of Interfaith Scotland and Trustee of the Muslim Council of Scotland.