The Pew Research Center’s 2007 survey on American Muslims concludes that although Muslims in the U.S. are a diverse population – roughly two-thirds were born elsewhere – their attitudes, outlook and values are similar to those of the general American population.
American Muslims are Moderate
In addition, American Muslims tend to have moderate views on issues that typically divide Westerners and Muslims.
Despite these results, when the Pew Research Center released “Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream” in May 2007, some media were quick to headline coverage of the survey with the finding that some American Muslims felt that suicide bombings could “sometimes” be justified to defend Islam.
In reality, the survey found that a very small percentage – 7 percent – of American Muslims held this view, with an even smaller group – 1 percent – believing that suicide bombings could “often” be justified.
Far more prevalent in the report were results that show American Muslims to be assimilated, middle class and overall moderate in their views.
Key Findings
Key findings of the Pew Research Center's survey of U.S. Muslims include:
- The American Muslim population is very diverse, with no single racial group accounting for the majority.
- Native-born Muslims comprise 35 percent of the American Muslim population; of those, 21 percent are converts to Islam.
- Immigrants account for 65 percent of the American Muslim population; Arab and South Asian countries have the greatest representation in this group.
- A greater percentage of American Muslims reject extremism than do their counterparts in Western European countries, and absolute support of extremism is quite low, particularly when compared to Muslim views around the globe.
- More than half of American Muslims say that it has been difficult to be Muslim in America since 9/11.
- Only 26 percent of American Muslims believe the War on Terror is a sincere effort to reduce terrorism, compared to 67 percent of the general U.S. population.
- About a quarter of Muslims say that they have experienced discrimination in the U.S.
- Most American Muslims are highly assimilated into American society, and most do not find conflict with being a devout Muslim and living in a modern society.
- Muslims’ annual incomes are comparable with those of the general American population.
- American Muslims tend to hold liberal views regarding the size and scope of government; however, they tend to be conservative in their social views.
- The overall approach of Muslims to their religious beliefs is similar to that of Christians; for example, comparable numbers of Christians and Muslims attend weekly religious services. However, more Muslims than Christians claim that religion is “very important” in their lives.
- The Pew survey shows that there are roughly 1.4 million Muslims in America; this is in sharp contrast to the 6 to 7 million Muslims estimated by a 2001 survey (conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religious Research and co-sponsored by the Council on American Relations).
Pew based its report, "American Muslims: Mostly Middle Class and Mainstream," from interviews with more than 1,050 Muslim adults in the U.S.
General statistics on American religious diversity can be found in the February 2008 report on the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Forum on Religious & Public Life.
Strategies for promoting respect and understanding between Americans and Muslims can be found in the U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project's September 2008 Report on U.S. Relations with the Muslim World.
General information about Islamic beliefs can be found in What Do Muslims Believe?
 |
