Muslim Americans Have Moderate Views According To Survey

By Haya El Nasser
USA Today

(RNS) Almost half the nation's estimated 2.8 million Muslims fault their leaders for not speaking out against Islamic extremists, but a vast majority are far more satisfied than Americans overall with the way things are going in this country, according to a major survey of U.S. Muslims released Tuesday (Aug. 30).

The Pew Research Center report, the most comprehensive survey since 2007, shows no evidence of rising support for Islamic extremism among Muslim Americans, although 52 percent say government anti-terrorism policies single out Muslims for increased surveillance.

Nearly half of U.S. Muslims say their leaders here have not done enough to challenge extremists.

"I think we should all do more," says Hassan Jaber, executive director of Dearborn, Mich.-based ACCESS, the largest nonprofit Arab-American human services organization.

The survey shows that American Muslims have more moderate views than their brethren around the globe, yet 7 percent say suicide bombings are sometimes justified (unchanged since 2007) and 21 percent say there is a great deal or fair amount of support for extremism in their communities.

By contrast, four in 10 Americans believe there is a fair amount of support for extremism among U.S. Muslims, and nearly one in five (24 percent) think Muslim support for extremism is increasing.

"They (U.S. Muslims) are mainstream and moderate in attitude," says Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. "Most Muslims want to adopt American customs, many of their close friends are not Muslims and they rate their economic situation pretty positively. They think like Americans."

Despite 55 percent saying that being a Muslim in the U.S. is more difficult since 9/11, Muslims are far more positive about the state of the nation (56 percent) than Americans as a whole (23 percent).

Four years ago, there was more agreement on the state of the U.S.: 38 percent for Muslims and 32 percent for the general population.

Muslims are split on the government's sincerity in fighting terrorism, but far less than when they were last surveyed in 2007. "We do see a public more approving of this president (Obama) than President Bush by a yawning gap," Kohut says.

"I don't think anyone questioned the motives (of the Bush administration) but many people questioned the tactics," says Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, a New York-based nonprofit. "Going to war (in Iraq) increased the divide even more."

The poll found that most Muslim Americans continue to identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party and overwhelmingly support President Obama.

(Haya El Nasser writes for USA Today.)

WATCH: 9/11 -- HARDSHIP, PATRIOTISM FOR MUSLIM AMERICANS

Comments

[Mahfooz Ur Rahman]

08:41 AM on 09/27/2011

Indeed yes

[Caernarvon]

12:22 AM on 09/11/2011

I believe that most U.S. muslims are peaceful and do not support terrorism. However, to say that "Muslim Americans Have Moderate Views", particularly when supported by less-than-conclusive poll findings, is to make a bit of a blanket statement about muslims in the U.S., isn't it? Isn't it a bit of an insult to the many muslims who practice a strict, albiet non-violent, form of their religion and who do not "want to adopt American customs"? Isn't it supposed to be offensive when muslims get "painted with a broad brush" like that?

[americawasgreatonce]

01:50 PM on 09/10/2011

Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom the Netherland­s , at the Four Seasons in New York.

Please take the time to read and understand what is written here.

READ HERE http://www­.snopes.co­m/politics­/soapbox/w­ilders.asp

[iLdoRight]

03:31 AM on 09/07/2011

Caption suggestion; "I bought a magic Mormon undergarment on E-bay"

[James Leo]

01:10 PM on 09/02/2011

Prior to 9/11 Muslims and Arab Americans use to be Republicans They shot themselves in the foot this time.

[riff4u]

07:55 PM on 09/05/2011

That is true. Many American Muslims are business people who leaned toward more conservative policies, but since the new GOP neocon party has a problem with diversity, the vast majority of Muslims have voted Democratic in the past few elections.

[bsultan]

06:37 PM on 09/06/2011

There are still a few American Muslims who vote republican and try to justify it. It's really akin to black people trying to join the KKK and then complaining about their policies.

[Muhtadi]

10:13 PM on 09/01/2011

“21 percent [American Muslims] say there is a great deal or fair amount of support for extremism in their communities. By contrast, four in 10 Americans believe there is a fair amount of support for extremism among U.S. Muslims, and nearly one in five (24 percent) think Muslim support for extremism is increasing.”

4 in 10? When providing “contrast”, why are the results of 2 categories [“Great deal” and “fair” amount of support for extremism] from Muslim respondents added together and expressed as percentage and then “contrasted” by 1 category only [“Fair amount” of support for extremism] from the general public respondents and expressed as an unreduced fraction?

Why not just state it like this?
51% of American Muslims perceive there is support for extremism in Muslim communities vs
73% of the general public that perceives support for extremism in Muslim communities.

Of course, put that way (to some out there), that would mean 51% of American Muslims are fear-mongering, radical, right-winger who unfairly portray elements of Islam as being supportive of extremism.

[Muhtadi]

09:57 PM on 09/01/2011

“56% of Muslim Americans say that most Muslims who come to the U..S. today want to adopt American customs and ways of life. In contrast, only 33% of the general public believes that Muslims who come to the United States want to adopt American customs”
Source: Pew Report referenced in this article


So does that mean 44% of American Muslims perceive that most of their fellow American Muslims don’t want to be Americans? I would hope 100% of Muslim immigrants to the US want to be Americans

[riff4u]

10:55 PM on 08/31/2011

Many American Muslims are business people and held GOP fiscal ideals........but since the GOP has a problem with diversity and has been hijacked by the radical right and Christian evangelicals, they will remain Democrats and vote to re-elect Obama.

[Muhtadi]

09:12 PM on 09/01/2011

“since the GOP has a problem with diversity and has been hijacked by the radical right and Christian evangelicals”

Really? Since when?

How long ago was it when this rainbow coalition of fiscally responsible, non-denominational GOPers roamed the Earth?

[riff4u]

10:50 PM on 09/01/2011

Those days are over. The GOP has been taken over by kooks. Just turn on your TV,

[James Leo]

01:12 PM on 09/02/2011

The first Bush but those days are long gone

[hello All]

11:36 AM on 08/31/2011

The Pew question:
Q: Suicide bombing/other violence against civilian is justified to defend Islam from its enemies...

Only 7% said Yes. But it is not clear how many of those 7% are justifying "suicide bombing" or "other violence" is not clear. The question should have been only about the suicide bombing to get a clear picture. But in any case, its not good to justify violence.

The problem with Pew survey is that they have only asked these question to Muslims. What will be the response of non-Muslim American to similar question?

A recent Gallup survey has the answer. http://www.gallup.com/poll/148763/Muslim-Americans-No-Justification-Violence.aspx

Q: Some people think that for an individual person or small group of persons to target and kill civilians is sometimes justified, while others think that kind of violence is never justified. Which is your opinion?

Never Sometimes Depends
Muslim 89% 11%
Catholic 71 26 2
Protestant 71 27 2
Jews 75 22
Mormon 79 19 2
Athesit 76 23 1

[Damn Damien]

12:21 PM on 08/31/2011

I read the summary of the Gallup poll through your link.

It does not mean what you think it means. Here's the obvious meaning.

According to your figures, about 25% of non-Muslims think that terrorist attacks BY MUSLIMS (against non-Muslims) is sometimes justified BECAUSE they are under occupation in some places like Palestine, etc. (I disagree!)

It doesn't mean that 25% of American non-Muslims believe in terrorism--which is absurd!

On the contrary, most of the Muslim respondents thought the question meant: terrorism by Muslims against non-Muslims is justified, and therefore 11% responded: YES.

Who comes up with these questions?

[HaleemK]

12:42 PM on 08/31/2011

"kill civilians is sometimes justified"??????? How and why please?? this is new.
I would like to know how those people were reasoning. I doubt the numbers and what Gallup is presenting because it sounds irratioinall.

[Damn Damien]

12:53 PM on 08/31/2011

Please read my comment right above yours. The Gallup numbers are accurate. It simply means that 11% of American Muslims support extremists; and about 25% of non-Muslims think that it is OUR FAULT that Muslim extremists want to attack us.

[riff4u]

11:03 PM on 08/31/2011

Killing civilians justified? Ask Bush and Cheney that concocted their Iraq and Afghanistan based upon this.

[dbmartin]

10:16 AM on 08/31/2011

If the extremist american muslim group, 7%, have a similar success rate of the 9/11 muslim extremists, there will remain after their desired actions, some 276,234,550 americans who will behave like the insulting bigots they have been portrayed since 9/11, against innocent muslims and some might even hate islam. More diverse religion love ins will be needed.

[dbmartin]

10:03 AM on 08/31/2011

Its good to see some conscientious people conducting well thought out surveys and running some of the important numbers. If we look at the numbers based on there historical significance, we find, the muslims representing extreme views are only 7% of the 2.8 million muslim americans, (196,000 extremists). The extreme muslims on 9/11 killed 3000 people suffering 19 voluntary casualties. That is a rate of only 157 to 1. At that proven rate, the 7% of 2.8 million american muslims could expect a similar success rate and would be expected to only kill 30,772,000 americans. It's always good to run the numbers.

[Jan Allen McDaniel]

09:06 AM on 08/31/2011

There is reason to believe an American Muslims would hesitate to declare sympathy with the Islamist enemies of America.

One way to get around this expectable self protection is to find the largest, most influential mosque in your area.

--Find out who funded it.

--Find out who staffed it.

--Find out where the Imam was trained in Sharia law.

--Ask if the mosque title is held by the North American Islamic Trust.

--Determine the mosque's relationship to the Islamic Society of North America and the Council on Islamic - American Relations.

With those five pieces of information in hand, you will be able to assess the degree of Islamist influence present in the leadership of that mosque.

[hello All]

11:38 AM on 08/31/2011

I hope you are working on that and will share results with us.

[Damn Damien]

01:03 PM on 08/31/2011

Is there any doubt with regard to his conclusions?!

[Jan Allen McDaniel]

07:02 AM on 09/05/2011

According to the Sufi American Muslim, Stephen Suleyman Schwartz, the Saudis have spent between $300 million and 1 billion over 30 years building mosques in North America, including:

The Omer Bin Al-Khattab Mosque, West Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Islamic Center
The Fresno, California Mosque
The Islamic Center, Denver, Colorado
The Islamic Center in Harrison, New York
The Islamic Center of Northern Virginia

He also claims Saudi influence in American Islam is magnified by the Wahhabi Lobby:

Council on American Islamic Relations
Islamic Society of North America (controls a minimum of 324 mosques)
Muslim Students Association
American Muslim Council
American Muslim Alliance
Muslim American Society
The Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences
International Institute of Islamic Thought

http://article.nationalreview.com/269243/wahhabism-islam-in-the-us/stephen-schwartz

[HaleemK]

12:16 PM on 08/31/2011

Sounds like the hitch hickers guide to discover local islamism.
Next we will need islamist busters.

[Jan Allen McDaniel]

08:39 AM on 08/31/2011

"They (U.S. Muslims) are mainstream and moderate in attitude,"
=============

...and will remain so until something happens to change their attitude. This is the definition of a form of commitment to America that is contingent on America doing nothing to anger them.

Rejecting in a permanent way the Islamist doctrines that support jihadism and the goal of political supremacy would be more substantial—would indicate a non contingent patriotism.

That would signify a committment to America that goes beyond an attitude that can be changed by a single morning’s headline.

Specifically, they need to distance themselves doctrinally from those who are sympathetic to extremism. Doctrinally—permanently--rejecting the fiqh of extremism--which is the sea of righteousness in which terrorists swim.

[Damn Damien]

06:18 AM on 08/31/2011

Am I misunderst­anding the conclusion­s of the survey?

If 7 percent [of US Muslims] say suicide bombings are sometimes justified (unchanged since 2007) and 21 percent say there is a great deal or fair amount of support for extremism in their [own] communitie­s, how can one conclude that "Muslim Americans have moderate views"?

Aren't those being surveyed themselves saying that there is "great deal or fair amount of support for extremism"­? It is fair to assume that, like in any community, about 20% are better educated and more successful than others. And, these are probably the ones that are pointing out the "great deal or fair amount of support for extremism.­"

If "nearly half of U.S. Muslims say their leaders here have not done enough to challenge extremists­." Then, does it not mean that more than half think that their leaders need to do nothing more to counter or prevent extremism?

It might be concluded that half of US Muslims have moderate views??!”

[hello All]

11:47 AM on 08/31/2011

There are more non-Muslim who justify violence against civilians than Muslims in America.

gallup poll

Q: Some people think that for an individual person or small group of persons to target and kill civilians is sometimes justified, while others think that kind of violence is never justified. Which is your opinion?

Options: Never / Sometimes / Depends
Muslim 89% / 11% / 0%
Catholic 71 / 26 / 2
Protestant 71 / 27 / 2
Jews 75 / 22 / 0
Mormon 79 / 19 / 2
Athesit 76 / 23 / 1

Clearly, many more Muslims (89%) compared to non-Muslims (

[hello All]

11:50 AM on 08/31/2011

Source: http://www.gallup.com/poll/148763/Muslim-Americans-No-Justification-Violence.aspx

[HaleemK]

05:21 AM on 08/31/2011

"The survey shows that American Muslims have more moderate views than their brethren around the globe"

- Aren't relativism great! I really don't want to meet the brethren.

"yet 7 percent say suicide bombings are sometimes justified (unchanged since 2007)"

- I don't want to met these people either.

"and 21 percent say there is a great deal or fair amount of support for extremism in their communities."

- Does this even sound normal?

[Damn Damien]

07:58 AM on 08/31/2011

I don't know how this article even merits a title like 'Muslim Americans Have Moderate Views.' Not to mention that it indicates that Muslims outside the US are certainly not moderate at all.