Points from a Newsweek Poll
Posted on July 21st, 2007 by Tariq Nelson
Some interesting points found in this poll by Newsweek
- Most Americans surveyed (52 percent) view Muslims who live here as more peaceable than those living outside the United States.
- A solid majority of Americans (63 percent) believe most Muslims in this country do not condone violence
- 41 percent of Americans feel Muslim culture glorifies suicide. (Wonder if those crazy videos have anything to do with that?)
- 25 percent of Americans would support mass detentions of U.S. Muslims; a solid majority (60 percent) would oppose such detentions.
- Only 36 percent say they personally know a Muslim living in the United States.
Filed under: Muslim Isolation, The Culture of Denial and Pretense
Interesting poll. I think its important that the mainstream american society mingle with the minorites. I think 36 percent is too low a figure. I wonder what such a survey would say if it was carried out in India. I would think that 90 percent of the majority population would know a Muslim, if not 99 percent. True, here there is some segregation because of minority educational institutions but in the workplace etc one does encounter people of all religions. If not then, maybe the maintenance guy, the pc guy, the neigborhood shop keeper…or is the survey talking of the social circle?
In India people tend to socialise with their own community…sindhis with sindhis, bengalis with bengalis etc. A pan Indian identity is emerging amongst the younger generation though. But older people are more stuck…
The 36% number is not surprising given that Muslims generally live in about 10 cities and have tended to be isolated
[The 36% number is not surprising given that Muslims generally live in about 10 cities and have tended to be isolated]
Plus, Muslims are, at the absolute most, 2% of the US population (and probably less than that - the 6 million figure comes from a rather questionable study - other methods have come up with much lower numbers) versus 7 or so times that in somewhere like India.
@ Nita
I think that what you said about India holds true for most Americans. Whites with whites, blacks with blacks, Latinos with Latinos and so on
Hmm, I actually think that people know more Muslims than they think. Many Muslims here in America seek to assimilate. And many of those who make a direct point not to are considered unapproachable by non-Muslims (sometimes with good reason!) I think this poll just reinforces for me why more Muslim women need to be out visible (wearing hijab) practicing our deen and showing that we are normal people rather than trying to just fit in by trying to look like everyone else. That goes for our brothers too, but I’m just speaking from a sister’s perspective.
Where I work people would never know that I am a Muslim. I do not wear my religion on my sleeve and I decided long ago not to adopt an Arab name. Most non-muslims would consider me a very conservative Christian who does not drink or womanize.
So, I think most Americans do not assume that people are Muslim unless they have the clothing, accent, facial hair and other Muslim identifiers.
Salaam
I’m along the lines of Ron. Although I have a beard, for most people here, it doesn’t scream Muslim. If they ask, I tell them, or if it comes up in everyday convo. That’s why I think that number is misleading.
Think about it, there are 7 million Muslims in America, about the same as the number of Jews. I would say that the majority of Americans know a Jewish person, probably several.