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Poll: 1 in 4 younger U.S. Muslims support suicide bombings
(New York - AP, May 23, 2007) - One in four younger U.S. Muslims said
in a poll that suicide bombings to defend their religion are
acceptable at least in some circumstances, though most Muslim
Americans overwhelmingly reject the tactic and are critical of Islamic
extremism and al-Qaida.
The survey by the Pew Research Center, one of the most exhaustive ever
of the country's Muslims, revealed a community that in many ways
blends comfortably into society. Its largely mainstream members
express nearly as much happiness with their lives and communities as
the general public does, show a broad willingness to adopt American
customs, and have income and education levels similar to others in the
U.S.
Even so, the survey revealed noteworthy pockets of discontent.
While nearly 80 percent of U.S. Muslims say suicide bombings of
civilians to defend Islam can not be justified, 13 percent say they
can be, at least rarely.
That sentiment is strongest among those younger than 30. Two percent
of them say it can often be justified, 13 percent say sometimes and 11
percent say rarely.
"It is a hair-raising number," said Radwan Masmoudi, president of the
Washington-based Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, which
promotes the compatibility of Islam with democracy.
He said most supporters of the attacks likely assumed the context was
a fight against occupation - a term Muslims often use to describe the
conflict with Israel.
U.S. Muslims have growing Internet and television access to extreme
ideologies, he said, adding: "People, especially younger people, are
susceptible to these ideas."
Federal officials have warned the U.S. must guard against homegrown
terrorism, as the British suffered with the London transit bombings of
2005.
Even so, U.S. Muslims are far less accepting of suicide attacks than
Muslims in many other nations. In Pew surveys last year, support in
some Muslim countries exceeded 50 percent, while it was considered
justifiable by about one in four Muslims in Britain and Spain, and one
in three in France.
"We have crazies just like other faiths have them," said Eide Alawan,
who directs interfaith outreach at the Islamic Center of America in
Dearborn, Mich., one of the nation's largest mosques. He said killing
innocent people contradicts Islam.
Andrew Kohut, Pew director, said in an interview that support for the
attacks represented "one of the few trouble spots" in the survey.
The poll briefly describes the rationales for and against "suicide
bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets" and then
asks, "Do you personally feel that this kind of violence is often
justified to defend Islam, sometimes justified, rarely justified, or
never justified?"
The question did not specify where a suicide attack might occur, who
might carry it out or what was meant by using a bombing to "defend
Islam."
Those of all ages backing at least some suicide attacks were about
evenly divided between men and women, with support stronger from those
who were U.S.-born and less educated, and those who attend mosques at
least weekly.
In other findings:
Only 5 percent of U.S. Muslims expressed favorable views of the
terrorist group al-Qaida, though about a fourth did not express an
opinion.
Most said they are concerned about a rise in Islamic extremism in the
U.S. and around the world.
Only 40 percent said they believe Arab men carried out the attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001.
By six to one, they say the U.S. was wrong to invade Iraq, while a
third say the same about Afghanistan - far deeper than the opposition
expressed by the general U.S. public.
Just over half said it has been harder being a U.S. Muslim since the
9/11 attacks. Nearly a third of those who flew in the past year say
they underwent extra screening because they are Muslim.
Forty-seven percent said they consider themselves Muslim first, rather
than American. Forty-two percent of Christians and 62 percent of white
evangelical Protestants identified themselves primarily by their
religion in earlier surveys.
By six-to-one, they favor the Democratic Party over the Republican
Party, and by five-to-one say they voted for Democratic Sen. John
Kerry over President Bush in 2004.
The survey estimates there are roughly 2.35 million Muslim Americans.
Among adults, two-thirds are from abroad while a fifth are U.S.-born
blacks.
By law, the Census Bureau does not ask about people's religions.
Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,050 Muslim adults from
January through April, including in Arabic, Urdu and Farsi. Subjects
were chosen at random, from a separate list of households including
some with Muslim-sounding names, and from Muslim households that had
answered previous surveys.
The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 5 percentage points.
_____________________________________________________________
(New York - AP, May 23, 2007) - One in four younger U.S. Muslims said
in a poll that suicide bombings to defend their religion are
acceptable at least in some circumstances, though most Muslim
Americans overwhelmingly reject the tactic and are critical of Islamic
extremism and al-Qaida.
The survey by the Pew Research Center, one of the most exhaustive ever
of the country's Muslims, revealed a community that in many ways
blends comfortably into society. Its largely mainstream members
express nearly as much happiness with their lives and communities as
the general public does, show a broad willingness to adopt American
customs, and have income and education levels similar to others in the
U.S.
Even so, the survey revealed noteworthy pockets of discontent.
While nearly 80 percent of U.S. Muslims say suicide bombings of
civilians to defend Islam can not be justified, 13 percent say they
can be, at least rarely.
That sentiment is strongest among those younger than 30. Two percent
of them say it can often be justified, 13 percent say sometimes and 11
percent say rarely.
"It is a hair-raising number," said Radwan Masmoudi, president of the
Washington-based Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, which
promotes the compatibility of Islam with democracy.
He said most supporters of the attacks likely assumed the context was
a fight against occupation - a term Muslims often use to describe the
conflict with Israel.
U.S. Muslims have growing Internet and television access to extreme
ideologies, he said, adding: "People, especially younger people, are
susceptible to these ideas."
Federal officials have warned the U.S. must guard against homegrown
terrorism, as the British suffered with the London transit bombings of
2005.
Even so, U.S. Muslims are far less accepting of suicide attacks than
Muslims in many other nations. In Pew surveys last year, support in
some Muslim countries exceeded 50 percent, while it was considered
justifiable by about one in four Muslims in Britain and Spain, and one
in three in France.
"We have crazies just like other faiths have them," said Eide Alawan,
who directs interfaith outreach at the Islamic Center of America in
Dearborn, Mich., one of the nation's largest mosques. He said killing
innocent people contradicts Islam.
Andrew Kohut, Pew director, said in an interview that support for the
attacks represented "one of the few trouble spots" in the survey.
The poll briefly describes the rationales for and against "suicide
bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets" and then
asks, "Do you personally feel that this kind of violence is often
justified to defend Islam, sometimes justified, rarely justified, or
never justified?"
The question did not specify where a suicide attack might occur, who
might carry it out or what was meant by using a bombing to "defend
Islam."
Those of all ages backing at least some suicide attacks were about
evenly divided between men and women, with support stronger from those
who were U.S.-born and less educated, and those who attend mosques at
least weekly.
In other findings:
Only 5 percent of U.S. Muslims expressed favorable views of the
terrorist group al-Qaida, though about a fourth did not express an
opinion.
Most said they are concerned about a rise in Islamic extremism in the
U.S. and around the world.
Only 40 percent said they believe Arab men carried out the attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001.
By six to one, they say the U.S. was wrong to invade Iraq, while a
third say the same about Afghanistan - far deeper than the opposition
expressed by the general U.S. public.
Just over half said it has been harder being a U.S. Muslim since the
9/11 attacks. Nearly a third of those who flew in the past year say
they underwent extra screening because they are Muslim.
Forty-seven percent said they consider themselves Muslim first, rather
than American. Forty-two percent of Christians and 62 percent of white
evangelical Protestants identified themselves primarily by their
religion in earlier surveys.
By six-to-one, they favor the Democratic Party over the Republican
Party, and by five-to-one say they voted for Democratic Sen. John
Kerry over President Bush in 2004.
The survey estimates there are roughly 2.35 million Muslim Americans.
Among adults, two-thirds are from abroad while a fifth are U.S.-born
blacks.
By law, the Census Bureau does not ask about people's religions.
Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,050 Muslim adults from
January through April, including in Arabic, Urdu and Farsi. Subjects
were chosen at random, from a separate list of households including
some with Muslim-sounding names, and from Muslim households that had
answered previous surveys.
The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 5 percentage points.
_____________________________________________________________
