I hope you are genuine, which I believe you are, but you never know to what lengths the media will go to extract a response out of some people.
I know of a few British born muslims working with major scheduled UK airlines.. in fact I don't know of any that are not employed but given the numbers concerned I don't think this should be used as concrete evidence.
Scoob makes a valid point which certainly holds a degree of truth with respect to UK major carriers who are openly 'pressurised' by the present government to employ a cross section of the community.. whatever that should mean. Of course, this (positive discrimination) leads to unfair stereotypes where the majority will presume the minority have gained that particular job without merit, which is clearly not always the case (an airline may choose to employ a member of a minority group, be it race, religion, gender etc, simply because they are good enough.. and in the majority of cases I believe that is true).
You will have no problem with airlines in this country (China maybe.. as somebody quoted, or indeed others nations, but NOT the UK). It is illegal in this country to preclude anyone of a particular race or religion to apply to any position or post (only gender and disability divisions apply to some jobs for obvious and practical reasons). The only exception to the point I just made, to my knowledge, is that a Catholic may not marry into the direct line of the Throne.. so as a Muslim count yourself fortunate that no such barriers exist towards your faith, as should be the case with all faiths.
There are still a minority group of Asians in UK based aviation, but it is growing. Most of these I have met are not Muslim, but this should not deter you from joining. As with all professions you will have a few individuals who will have opinions about you in respect to your faith, but they are fortunately few and far between. Most of the Muslims I know are outside aviation, and they are 'westernised' if such a term can be used. I will go to the pub with them, eat out with them, have a laugh etc etc, although they would obviously pass on the pint of stella with a side of bacon sarnies
You seem like a decent enough individual.. possibly having liberal acceptance for contemporary UK culture. As long as you don't have a problem with drunken nights of outrageous debaulchery and sexual promiscuity (it does go on.. off duty I am glad to say!), then there shouldn't be a problem. Of course no individual has to participate and that is my point.. as long as you are social, go out for a drink with the Skipper and have a laugh even if your choice is to drink coke etc, people will have no problem.
Don't hold back.. if you want to fly, do it, plenty have done it before you with no problems (I have seen it first hand at UK major FTOs such as Cabair/Oxford etc). Good luck
747 Downwind
