Chapter 6 >The Changing Geopolitical Landscape > Attitudes Toward Islam/Muslims

U.S. Report - pdf version Leaders Questionnaire - pdf version Public Questionnaire - pdf version

Attitudes Toward Islam/Muslims

There has been a sharp shift toward increased wariness of Islam in post-9/11 America. The proportion of the public calling Islamic fundamentalism a critical threat to vital U.S. interests has jumped 23 points to 61%, put-ting it in seventh position out of 20 threats ranked (see Figures 6-5 and 2-1). In addition, four out of ten Americans say that the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon represent the true teachings of Islam “to a great degree” (21%) or “to some degree” (18%). Seventeen percent say “not very much” and 40% “not at all.”

Suspicion and concern extends to Arab and Muslim people. By more than a three-to-one margin (76% to 22%), Americans say that based on the events of 9/11, U.S. immigration laws should be tightened to restrict the number of immigrants from Arab or Muslim countries into the United States, and 77% say that in order to combat terrorism they favor restricting overall immigration into the United States. A small majority of 54% to 43% also favor using racial profiling in airport security checks in order to combat international terrorism.

At the same time, a large majority of Americans reject the “clash of civilizations” notion (see Figure 6-5).Only 27% endorse the idea that because Muslim reli-gious, social, and political traditions are incompatible with Western ways, violent conflict between the two civilizations is inevitable. Instead, 66% believe that because most Muslims are like people everywhere, we can find common ground and violent conflict between the civilizations is not inevitable. Supporting this point, “the Muslim people” receive a neutral 49 degree average rating on the feeling thermometer.