Scots are becoming increasingly prejudiced against Muslims, according to a wide-ranging survey carried out after the terror attacks of July 2005 but before the strike on Glasgow Airport this summer.

Half of those questioned in the government study said Scotland would lose its identity if more Muslims come to the country - up on the 38% who said the same in 2003 when a similar survey was taken.

The number of Scots who would be unhappy if a relative formed a close relationship with a Muslim was also up over the three years, from 20% to 24%, but while almost one-third of Scots believe there is sometimes a good reason to be prejudiced - an attitude which is on the rise - the number of people who are prejudiced against gays and lesbians is decreasing.

The findings of the Scottish Government's 2006 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey were gathered from interviews with 1594 adults.

Last night, Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell described the change in attitudes towards Muslims as worrying and promised the government would "provide leadership" to fight prejudice.

He partly blamed the terrorist attacks in America on September 11, 2001, and in Britain in July 2005 for the trends.

"The survey suggests when people fear their culture is under threat they are more likely to hold discriminatory attitudes against particular groups," the minister said.

Osama Saeed, of the Muslim Council of Scotland, described the findings as "Islamophobia".

He said: "Given the international situation and a lot of irresponsible and mendacious coverage by sections of the media, these results are not entirely surprising.

"The sentiments are also borne out in reality by a greater number of physical and verbal attacks on the streets. Discrimination has become less about skin colour and more about creed. What we need now in terms of action are initiatives educating the wider public about the true essence of Islam."

Tory MSP Margaret Mitchell, convener of Holyrood's equal opportunities committee, said: "There is a clear lesson to be learned from these findings, namely that awareness-raising, the need to talk and to celebrate the positives that diversity can bring is a priority and a major factor in tackling prejudice."

The research, conducted by the Scottish Centre for Social Research, explores attitudes towards discrimination across six key equality areas - disability, gender, race, religion or belief, age and sexual orientation.

In other findings, almost one-third of people, around 30%, said ethnic minorities and people from Eastern Europe took jobs away from Scots, while around one in seven Scots, some 14%, believes that a woman's role is to stay at home while the man earns the money.

Mr Maxwell welcomed the fact that 65% said Scotland should do everything it could to get rid of all kinds of prejudice.

While attitudes towards gay people were improving, there was "substantial evidence"

of discriminatory attitudes towards trans-sexuals, asylum seekers and gipsy travellers.

Half of those questioned for the survey said they would be unhappy if a relative married a trans-sexual, while 37% would be unhappy if a relative were to marry an asylum seeker or a gipsy traveller.

The report said: "This may well be an indication that discriminatory attitudes towards these groups is sufficiently common that it is not regarded as an unacceptable prejudice' as appears to be the case in respect of most religious and ethnic minorities."

Morag Alexander, the Scottish commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said the diverse range of communities and cultures made Scotland a more rich and vibrant place.

She said: "If we want to build a confident, ambitious and fair nation then I believe every one of us has a responsibility to ensure that we create a Scotland that is at ease with all aspects of its diversity."

John Curtice, co-author of the report, said: "This research provides a unique picture of how discriminatory attitudes are more likely to be expressed towards some groups than towards others."