islam_poll_90803

Posted: 9/5/03

Poll: Americans more concerned about Islam today

WASHINGTON (ABP)–A new poll shows Americans are increasingly worried about Islam.

The poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Pew Research Center shows Americans generally are comfortable with religion playing a role in civic life.

But white evangelical Christians differ sharply from African-Americans on religious views and political commitment, the poll also revealed.

The number of Americans who think Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence increased significantly in the last year.

In a March 2002 Pew survey, only 25 percent of respondents said Islam is more likely to encourage violence. In the new survey, 44 percent said “yes” to that question. The increase of 19 percentage points in one year is considered significant.

White evangelicals, at 51 percent, were the most likely group to answer “yes” to the question, but their figures were statistically the same as white mainline Protestants, of whom 50 percent believed Islam was more violent than other religions.

The figures for evangelicals and mainline Protestants were much higher than those for Catholics, African-Americans and respondents expressing little or no religious commitments.

But respondents still held a generally positive view of Muslim-Americans.

Fifty-one percent expressed a favorable view of Muslim-Americans, and only 24 percent expressed a negative view. That is statistically unchanged from the 2002 survey, which showed a 54-to-22-percent positive-to-negative view of Muslim-Americans.

The survey, conducted from June 24-July 8, involved 2,002 adults.