Poll Finds Most Americans Have Neutral View of Muslims

Voice Of America ^ | 06 Oct 2004 | Suzanne Presto

[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.

[Melas]

Disagree. It just isn't so.

[Melas]

I guarantee you that if you took a poll of Dallas/Fort Worth residents you'd get the same numbers VOA got. I've learned to be very quiet in my suspicion of muslims.

[auboy]

(In my best southern accent) "Bull Sheet."

[BlueLancer]

200 years from now, I want their children's children's children's children
to cower and cringe in fear whenever they hear the sounds of jet engines overhead
because their legends tell of fire from the sky.

I want them to hide in dark caves and holes in the earth,
shivering with terror whenever they hear the roar of diesel engines
because the tales of their ancestors talk about metal monsters
crawling over the earth, spitting death and destruction.

I want their mothers to be able to admonish them with
"If you don't behave, the Pale Destroyers will come for you",
and that will be enough to reduce them to quivering obesience.

I want the annihilation to be so complete that their mythology
will tell them of the day of judgment when the stern gods from across the sea
.. the powerful 'Mericans .. destroyed their forefathers' wickedness.

(Original created by BlueLancer ... 13 September 2001)
(Thanks to HiJinx for the accompanying pictures)

[ApesForEvolution]

Muhammadan Expansionist Death Cult of Terror

(You know, the one that says that Cat Islam Stevens is a "Moderate" - who buys bombs for the likes of Hamas and Yessir Pigfat and his PLO to blow up people with, advocates the murder of people like Rushdie for writing a book about the Death Cult of Terror, etc.)

Religion of Pieces (as in body parts) BTTT

[ApesForEvolution]

Thanks for the Reality Post BTTT

[ApesForEvolution]

Post of the Day AFAIC

[7.62 x 51mm]

LOL! You're soooooooooo right.

[ninonitti]

Islam - type of virulent viral infection of the brain with no known cure.

[benjaminjjones]

A poll commissioned by the Council on American-Islamic Relations

Yeaahh, right.

Where did take do the poll, mosques in Michigan?