Pew surveyed American Muslims and the results were interesting. According to Politico's Tim Mak, "There is no rising alienation or anger among American Muslims, despite a feeling that they are being targeted by anti-terrorism government programs." And 79 percent of American Muslims rate their communities as excellent or good places to live. A much higher percentage are likely to say they're satisfied with the current direction of the country than four years ago.
The point, Pew tells us, is that American Muslims are "middle-class, mainstream people who want to be loyal to America.”
And this is where I find these surveys interesting. We're told about the following good news:
81 percent said that suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilians were never justified in order to protect their religion. 81 percent also expressed an unfavorable view of al-Qaeda, up from 68 percent in 2007.
This is indeed "good news" if you think of a world where only 61 percent of American Muslims condemned suicide bombings. But I can't help but wish it were higher. Much, much, much higher. I'd like that number to hover somewhere real close to 100 percent. Knowing that 1 in 5 American Muslims say suicide bombings and other acts of terror are OK isn't exactly the best news I can imagine.
Or take this:
21 percent of respondents said that there is “a great deal” or “a fair deal” of support for extremism in their communities.
Again, knowing that 1 in 5 American Muslims say there is support for extremism in their communities is certainly good news if you consider alternatives, such as 2 in 5 Muslims reporting support. But still, I'd like that percentage hovering closer to 0 percent.
If I'd guessed at how these percentages would go, I'd have hoped for much higher percentages condemning terror and much lower percentages reporting support for terror in their communities. Let's hope these numbers continue to improve.
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Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Mollie, you're so calm about this. This is a horrifying study. Nineteen percent say violence and suicide bombings are a-okay to defend their religion. Nineteen percent support extremism?! How many Christians would support violence and suicide bombings? Jews? Shintos? I'd say zero. Okay, maybe 1-2%, but those are the people who also believe Elvis is still alive. This study gives me no comfort at all.
Aug '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
I'm with Denise. One-in-five is waaaaayyyyy too high a number. Very troublesome.
Feb '11
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
"81 percent said that suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilians were never justified in order to protect their religion."
This is a depressing figure. For a more depressing figure, how many of that 81% are willing to publicly condemn suicide bombings and the like? You can almost hear the crickets chirping.
Jun '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
For the 1/5, it follows from a belief that infidels aren't complete human beings anyway. They're animals. So, to tolerate suicide bombing (when the victims are infidels) is simply to tolerate suicide. They'd say, "the other carnage is only of animals."
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Here's a link to the survey, by the way. Pew chose the headline:
Jul '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
This study is mortifying, though not all that surprising unless you buy into the "Religion of Peace" mantra. So 19% of a religious group in modern America are supportive of an organization that tortures children to death with piano wire, decapitates journalists, and forces mentally retarded women to blow themselves up. In the words of Mr. Steyn, "A moderate is one who cuts your head off with a shiny scimitar and an extremist uses a rusty one."
What a disgrace to that community if these numbers are correct.
Mar '11
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
And the AP lede when reporting on the study?
"More than half of Muslim-Americans in a new poll say government anti-terrorism policies single them out for increased surveillance and monitoring, and many report increased cases of name-calling, threats and harassment by airport security, law enforcement officers and others."
Jun '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Did the survey include any Arab Muslims who cal themselves Palestinian? I Think Denise summed it up in the first comment. What percentage of Jew and Christians would support suicide bombings? Also, if 19% of American Muslims are squishy to strongly supportive of these disgusting, barbarous, inhumane, tactics killing mainly children and other innocents, what percentage of the total 11/2 billion Muslims outside the USA would do the same? Higher, I would assume. We are talking three to five hundred million Muslims. Sure glad this isn't a religious war.
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Oh, I have heard plenty of non-Muslims express support for suicide bombings in Israel. You really don't have to look far for it, either.
Dec '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
I'm reading along, clucking and tutting, "terrible, terrifying... my, oh my, what is wrong with these people? And then I say to myself, "Self? What about all those conservatives you know with heavy weaponry stashed in their basements or bedrooms? The ones willing to fight for the Constitution (or freedom, if you prefer), not their religion?" And I know a bunch and they're almost uniformly (if nominally) Christian.
What percent of Americans would say that suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilians were never justified in order to protect their liberty?
Is it possible the 19% of Muslims are uncomfortable answering "never justified"? Are we non-Muslims uncomfortable with "suicide" or "against civilians" or any "other form of violence" -- ever?
Is there the possibility of beam and speck action here or am I full of it?
Jun '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Yes. Mental health has become a big problem too. No clerics I hope.
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
I'd like to see some consistency here: We pretty much all agreed that the Pew quiz I referred to in the very post prior to this one was so badly worded as to be almost nonsensical. Without looking at this poll and the methodology more carefully, it's pretty much impossible to say what it means.
Sep '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
The Somali and Mogadishu diaspora in Minneapolis are an interesting case study and one that few Americans pay attention to. That's all I'll say on the matter.
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Basil Fawlty: And the AP lede when reporting on the study?
"More than half of Muslim-Americans in a new poll say government anti-terrorism policies single them out for increased surveillance and monitoring, and many report increased cases of name-calling, threats and harassment by airport security, law enforcement officers and others." · Aug 30 at 6:53am
I reckon more than half of Americans, period, would agree that they've been harassed by airport security. Who doesn't feel harassed by it?
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Western Chauvinist: ...What percent of Americans would say that suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilians were never justified in order to protect their liberty? ...
· Aug 30 at 7:20am
The core answer lies in your question, ...in your use of the word "protect." There is a crucial difference in defensive versus offensive action, no? The people who stockpile weapons here at home do so to defend their families and their property. They're not strapping explosives on their children and dispatching them to a bus station to blow the place to smithereens.
Jun '11
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
The statistics are depressing enough - the raw numbers are scary. If there are 2 1/2 million Moslems in the country, then 19% is 475,000. Wow.
Mar '11
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
These numbers are not all that surprising - in fact, I am surprised the 20% number is not higher, as it is in other countries (as I recall - don't have the links).
There are other interesting numbers in this study, like the majority of US Muslims think the country is heading in the right direction, and about 70% approve of Mr Obama.
Clearly, they approve of "fundamental transformation". Into what, we shall see.
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Among other findings of this poll, for those who wish to look at it critically: Four percent of American Muslims don't believe in God, and four percent don't believe in the Prophet Muhammed. After that, I'm not sure we're defining anything meaningfully anymore. Really, read the whole thing before drawing conclusions--and look at the methodology: especially the part about calling people with "Muslim-sounding names."
Dec '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
Dave Carter
Western Chauvinist: ...What percent of Americans would say that suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilians were never justified in order to protect their liberty? ...
· Aug 30 at 7:20am
The core answer lies in your question, ...in your use of the word "protect." There is a crucial difference in defensive versus offensive action, no? The people who stockpile weapons here at home do so to defend their families and their property. They're not strapping explosives on their children and dispatching them to a bus station to blow the place to smithereens. · Aug 30 at 7:53am
But it's the same language used in the quote.
Jun '10
Re: Just Over 80 Percent of American Muslims Oppose Suicide Bombings. Is That Good Enough?
"Asked about suicide bombings, 7% of British Muslims told Populus they thought suicide bombings were justifiable in Britain. This is in line with polls of British Muslims last year asking if the London bombings were justifiable. Asked if suicide bombings were justifiable in Israel, 16% of British Muslims agreed. Populus then asked some questions about attitudes towards Jews and Israel. A bare majority of British Muslims (52%) did support the right of the state of Israel to exist, 30% did not. 31% thought that the Muslim Community should participate in Holocaust Memorial day, while 56% said they should not (21% said they shouldn’t because of Israeli treatment of Palestine, 12% because it ignored Muslim suffering, 20% for unspecified other reasons, 4% said they didn’t believe the Holocause happened)." [from FEB 2006: http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/archives/137 ]