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Poll Finds Most Americans Have Neutral View of Muslims
Voice Of America ^ | 06 Oct 2004 | Suzanne Presto

Posted on 10/06/2004 10:32:47 AM PDT by Area Freeper

An Islamic civil rights group says crimes against Muslims and negative beliefs about Muslims have increased in the United States since 2001. But the U.S.-based organization also says that a recent poll it commissioned finds that a vast majority of Americans have neutral thoughts about Muslims. Allah. Islam. Mohammed. A poll commissioned by the Council on American-Islamic Relations indicates these are among the first thoughts that come to Americans' minds when they hear the word "Muslim."

In the survey of one thousand Americans conducted in June, two out of three Americans thought of a similarly neutral image when they heard the word Muslim. While the vast majority, 67 percent, thought of neutral terms, the Council on American-Islamic Relations is concerned that 32 percent thought of a negative term such as war or violence. And only two percent thought of a positive term such as good, beautiful or decent.

The founder of the research firm that conducted the poll, Jeni Sall of Genesis Research Associates, says the very first thing people think of when they hear a word indicates their attitude.

"Generally, it's considered that what you have at the top of your mind, what you will say on an open-ended basis, is the most predictive of the way that you think, so if I say, 'What comes to mind when I say the word Muslim?' and you say 'war,' you probably don't have warm, fuzzy feelings about Islam," Ms. Sall said.

One in four Americans surveyed agreed with the statements that Muslims teach their children to hate or they value life less than other people.

The council's research director, Mohamed Nimer, says this finding is troubling for the more than six million Muslims living in the United States.

"It's very uncomfortable to live thinking that it is likely that one in four of the neighbors around you think you are less human than they are," Mr. Nimer said.

But the poll also found that twice as many people, about half those polled, think of Muslims as family-oriented, honest, hospitable, or generous people who have contributed to society.

Ms. Sall explains even more Americans believe Islam is a peaceful religion.

"When we asked people whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement that the people who are using Islam to justify violence are misusing the teachings, we found that 44 percent agreed strongly with that statement, and in fact most Americans did agree at least to some degree with that statement," Ms. Sall said.

The survey finds that people who know Muslims or are knowledgeable about Islam are less likely to have negative perceptions of the faith.

The council is trying to educate more people about Islam by encouraging 100 mosques to share a meal with members of other faiths during Ramadan, the Islamic fast that begins in mid-October. It is also asking people to donate books about Islam to public libraries.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Philosophy; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: cairsilentonbeslan; islam; muslim
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1 posted on 10/06/2004 10:32:47 AM PDT by Area Freeper
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To: Area Freeper

They didn't ask me.


2 posted on 10/06/2004 10:34:10 AM PDT by kinsman redeemer (the real enemy seeks to devour what is good)
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To: Area Freeper

I guess I'm not in the vast majority, then.
I doubt if the majority is within it either.


3 posted on 10/06/2004 10:34:39 AM PDT by Sam Cree (Democrats are herd animals)
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To: Area Freeper
...so if I say, 'What comes to mind when I say the word Muslim?'

90% of Americans immediately think of a United 767 flying into a building. Many are just too polite to say so.

4 posted on 10/06/2004 10:34:45 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves
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To: Area Freeper

The view out of my office window used to be the World Trade Center.

My view of Muslims is something other than neutral.


5 posted on 10/06/2004 10:35:47 AM PDT by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: Area Freeper

I have a neutral view towards Islam... HOWEVER, Moderate Islam better get a hold of its radical elements VERY QUICKLY, or my view will go from neutral to negative....


6 posted on 10/06/2004 10:36:37 AM PDT by The Hollywood Conservative
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To: Area Freeper

VOA, you're naive. Try asking non-Arabs.


7 posted on 10/06/2004 10:36:41 AM PDT by Righter-than-Rush
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To: Mr. Jeeves

My thinking was they asked the same group of people who say they never masturbate.


8 posted on 10/06/2004 10:36:57 AM PDT by Area Freeper (From John Kerry, they get a "yes/no/maybe" bowl of mush that can only encourage our enemies)
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: kinsman redeemer

I wasn't asked either. I'm proud to say that I run a Muslim-free household.


10 posted on 10/06/2004 10:38:52 AM PDT by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington
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To: Area Freeper
An Islamic civil rights group says crimes against Muslims and negative beliefs about Muslims have increased in the United States since 2001.

Ever notice that they never cite the number of "crimes" against Muslims? The reason is simple: the grand total is 47.

While one attack on someone solely because of their race, sex or creed is definitely wrong, that number of crimes against Islamists pales in comparison to the number of anti-Semitic attacks by Muslims against Jews.

Not that I expect such facts to come to the fore at the hands of Islamists or their sympathizers in the media.

11 posted on 10/06/2004 10:40:56 AM PDT by Prime Choice (It is dangerous to be right when wicked is called 'good.')
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To: Righter-than-Rush

The intended audience of this article is Mooselimbs in foreign countries.


12 posted on 10/06/2004 10:41:10 AM PDT by Area Freeper (From John Kerry, they get a "yes/no/maybe" bowl of mush that can only encourage our enemies)
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To: Area Freeper
I'm just imagining how ludicrous it would be if the governments of Czhechoslovakia, England, Denmark, France, etc. in the midst of WW2 instructed their citizenry not to blame Germans or not hate Germans...or in fact to have a German meal or understand German culture.

As far as most Americans being neutral on Muslims, even if everybody hated them, so what? We were very anti-Japan, anti-German and anti-Russian in our past....that was then at that time. Today they are our allies and from what I can see there is no residue of our former feelings toward them.

13 posted on 10/06/2004 10:41:25 AM PDT by Lizavetta
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To: Area Freeper

Most Americans didn't read the Koran. Otherwise they would share my views on Mohammedanism.


14 posted on 10/06/2004 10:41:39 AM PDT by Kurt_D
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To: All

15 posted on 10/06/2004 10:42:22 AM PDT by Prime Choice (It is dangerous to be right when wicked is called 'good.')
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To: Area Freeper

I want to have a favorable view of muslims, but every time I look, it seems that they are beheading someone, using suicide bombers to kill large numbers of people, vowing to acquire nuclear weapons, engaging in such things as gang rape, honor killings and preaching hate from the mosques.


16 posted on 10/06/2004 10:42:58 AM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: Area Freeper

I have unadulterated hatred for Islam & a sense of sympathy to those many innocents who somehow were born into that cult!!


17 posted on 10/06/2004 10:46:28 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: Area Freeper

All this says to me is that, as usual, most Americans have their heads planted squarely up their oh-so-PC butts.

The only good muslim is a dead muslim.

Period.


18 posted on 10/06/2004 10:47:43 AM PDT by liberty_lvr (Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.)
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To: Area Freeper

Islam: a lethal combination of dorks and butchers.


19 posted on 10/06/2004 10:47:54 AM PDT by tkathy (There will be no world peace until all thuggocracies are gone from the earth.)
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To: Area Freeper

I think the headline is pretty much correct, but one more attack on the US........


20 posted on 10/06/2004 10:49:58 AM PDT by expatpat
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