Americans' bias against Jews, Muslims linked, poll says

[kkbou]

Americans' bias against Jews, Muslims linked, poll says
By Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 21, 2010; A03




A poll about Americans' views on Islam concludes that the strongest predictor of prejudice against Muslims is whether a person holds similar feelings about Jews.
The Gallup poll, released Thursday, also finds that people who report going to religious services more than once a week are less likely to harbor bias against Muslims.



The poll, conducted in the fall, is the latest large-scale survey to find a high level of anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a poll (http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/summer09/survey0909.pdf) in September showing that Muslims are thought to suffer more discrimination than any other U.S. religious group, by a wide margin. Jews were second.
The Gallup poll asked Americans about their views of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism and found that 53 percent see Islam unfavorably.
There is no consistent data over time about Americans' views on Islam or Muslims. Dalia Mogahed, executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, said that Americans' attitudes toward Muslims generally seem to be improving but that "changes are not dramatic."
The Pew poll found that Americans' views on whether Islam is more likely than other faiths to encourage violence -- a question Pew first asked after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- have fluctuated dramatically.



In the Gallup poll, respondents who said they feel "a great deal" of prejudice toward Jews are very likely to report feeling the same level of bias toward Muslims.
Mogahed, who is on a board that advises President Obama on faith-based issues, said the Gallup poll was prompted partly by Obama's outreach to Muslim-majority societies and a desire to understand more about what shapes Americans' views on Islam.



In a note accompanying the poll results, Gallup makes the argument that Americans' prejudice against Muslims is at least partly fueled by misinformed beliefs. For example, people who believe Muslims worldwide oppose equal rights for men and women tend to be much more likely to report prejudice against Muslims.



Data from other Gallup interviews that were not part of the most recent poll show that majorities of Muslims in Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, among other places, say that women and men should have equal legal rights.





I hope this isn't a repost.

Anyway, on reflection it isn't surprising that someone who is prejudicial against one group of people is equally likely to be prejudicial against another group.

[Imp]

For example, people who believe Muslims worldwide oppose equal rights for men and women tend to be much more likely to report prejudice against Muslims.

Of course it depends how you word it. Do Muslims oppose equal rights, or does the Koran? The "other Gallup interviews" suggest they don't, reading the Koran on the other hand, makes it pretty clear what the actual Koranic interpretation says.

[deathil93]

Well, I'm not blaming the yanks. I would hate Muslims too if some crazy extremists killed over 1000 civilians of my own country.
The Muslim religion is quite peacefull, the problem lies whitin the crazy extremists.

I hold prejudice only against the extremists and terrorists.

[Danik]

So the majority of people THINK that Muslims are targeted and discriminated against, while government research and statistics proves that it is not true.

I wonder where they picked up that notion...

[RoyB]

Of course it depends how you word it. Do Muslims oppose equal rights, or does the Koran? The "other Gallup interviews" suggest they don't, reading the Koran on the other hand, makes it pretty clear what the actual Koranic interpretation says.
All of the holy books of the three major religions show opposition for women having equal rights.
That being the product of the period in time those scriptures were written. While in our time such ideas and beliefs are gone in modern society.

Well, I'm not blaming the yanks. I would hate Muslims too if some crazy extremists killed over 1000 civilians of my own country.

Well, they did.
Not advocating the stupid generalization, but just pointing out the contradiction.

[deathil93]

All of the holy books of the three major religions show opposition for women having equal rights.
That being the product of the period in time those scriptures were written. While in our time such ideas and beliefs are gone in modern society.

Well, they did.
Not advocating the stupid generalization, but just pointing out the contradiction.
lol yeah, noticed it only now hehe kinda tired

[kkbou]

Well, they did.
Not advocating the stupid generalization, but just pointing out the contradiction.

Fair enough, I can understand that a lot of Americans find islam/muslims unsavoury for the reasons given above, but the poll suggests that the same people with anti-muslim attitudes also have anti jewish sentiments.

Maybe I am missing something, but I find it a little counter-intuitive.

[UltimateHero]

I believe most Americans do not like orthodox religions in general. If you're 100yds away and I can tell how you worship (whether it is ridiculous Jew sideburns or bee keeper suit) I don't like it. Yes, I am intolerant and I will never change in this opinion.

EDIT:
My opinion regarding the Orthodox exists because I believe extreme religious people put their own selfish needs before the needs of their country. Far too often the ones who parade in religious garb are the ones who care only for their religion. My country comes first, living any other way is un-American IMO.

Yay for infractions, another win for zealotry...complements of California Joe.

[Yehuda]

I believe most Americans do not like orthodox religions in general. If you're 100yds away and I can tell how you worship (whether it is ridiculous Jew sideburns or bee keeper suit) I don't like it. Yes, I am intolerant and I will never change in this opinion.
funny,considering that in your "advanced "country,they are discusing right now,to teach creationism in schools

[UltimateHero]

funny,considering that in your "advanced "country,they are discusing right now,to teach creationism in schools
I agree completely. The southern US ("they" I presume?) definitely is 20 years behind the rest of the country in many ways. However, I think your anger-induced quip has forced you to miss the point.
http://solefoodshop.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/raptor-jesus.jpg

[West Texican]

Michelle Boorstein is practicing manipulative journalism. The poll is designed to enhance her career, not enlighten anyone. I call it BS.

[kkbou]

^^^^^

Are you saying that the poll reflects an antagonism to orthodox religion per se, rather than antipathy to islam or judaism?

Perhaps some of the respondents would fall into this group, but I think the majority may have different reasons.

[West Texican]

Are you saying that the poll reflects an antagonism to orthodox religion per se, rather than antipathy to islam or judaism?

Perhaps some of the respondents would fall into this group, but I think the majority may have different reasons.[/QUOTE]


I'm saying the story is mostly BS because the whole country was not polled, only a pathetically small sampling was questioned. Journalist routinely misuse polls because of the mythology of accuracy that surrounds them and it's an easy way to get a story to print without breaking a sweat. Any news story that uses a poll as its foundation should be suspect.

[muck]

What a stupid poll that is. Islam-critics in the States must be different from those over here because as for ours, most of them tend to side with Israel and Judaism. Including my humble self, by the way.
I shall call this another try to discredit criticism on Islam.
The conclusion that someone who has prejudices against one ethnic or religious group might come up with prejudices against others as well is correct. But it has nothing got to do with this range of topics. A prejudice is an opinion that doesn't reflect the truth, but unfortunately Islam comes up with a load of true and truthful points for criticism.
Statements like this one are mind-boggling:

In a note accompanying the poll results, Gallup makes the argument that Americans' prejudice against Muslims is at least partly fueled by misinformed beliefs. For example, people who believe Muslims worldwide oppose equal rights for men and women tend to be much more likely to report prejudice against Muslims.But men and women don't have equal rights in the Muslim world, be it based upon law or upon some kind of social agreement. That is no prejudice, it is fricking actuality! Is it really biased to point that out?

[ggk]

But men and women don't have equal rights in the Muslim world, be it based upon law or upon some kind of social agreement. That is no prejudice, it is fricking actuality!

say what... i suppose thats true in Middle east, Pakistan and India..... yet there are a whole bunch of Muslim in ASEAN too...and we give equal rights to women. You need to stop generalising here.

[muck]

Admittely I know little about Islam being practiced in Southeast Asia. But I know from first hand experience (gosh, that sounds silly!) that my statement reflects the reality in Muslim Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. In view of the fact that the majority of all Muslims live there, I'd say to generalize is quite okay then. It doesn't do harm to countries such as Malaysia where a woman needs to fear lashes for drinking beer!

[Kaplanr]

Wonder what happens if you change the question and substitute Arab for Moslem? Does the correlation to Jews change? Maybe sub Hebrews for Jews. Back in 1940 when my mother was applying to Columbia, she left the line for "religion" (or whatever word they used) blank. At her interview they persisted and then asked if she was of the "Mosaic persuasion".

[ggk]

she didnt get the lashes...pfft..

[junglejim]

Hahaha ^^^ but yeah in the ASEAN women tend to be treated equally regardless of religion. I do believe that its is mostly due to history, I read somewhere that the Chinese traders back in the day were astonished how the women in SE Asia was more on equal footing with their male counterparts.

[California Joe]

It's a stupid poll. America is a huge place and there are plenty of ignorant sh*tkickers who don't even know the difference. Just some weird middle easterners that talk funny...

[junglejim]

Are you saying that the poll reflects an antagonism to orthodox religion per se, rather than antipathy to islam or judaism?

Perhaps some of the respondents would fall into this group, but I think the majority may have different reasons.


I'm saying the story is mostly BS because the whole country was not polled, only a pathetically small sampling was questioned. Journalist routinely misuse polls because of the mythology of accuracy that surrounds them and it's an easy way to get a story to print without breaking a sweat. Any news story that uses a poll as its foundation should be suspect.[/QUOTE]


I do agree with you. When reading polls one must need to study how the questions were asked and the population sample. Where they representative of the entire population of the US or were they biased to a certain group. The a large number of sample is not particularly necessary, it must at least mimic the break down of the actuall population of the country. The more robust the base size the more accurate the read... if the questionnaire is not biased.

[California Joe]

Look, you survey large sections of this country and replace the word "Jews" with "New Yorkers" and you'll get the same results.

[Sootan]

I do agree with you. When reading polls one must need to study how the questions were asked and the population sample. Where they representative of the entire population of the US or were they biased to a certain group. The a large number of sample is not particularly necessary, it must at least mimic the break down of the actuall population of the country. The more robust the base size the more accurate the read... if the questionnaire is not biased.

I see that you still remember your Statistics 101 :D

[junglejim]

I see that you still remember your Statistics 101 :D


It is my job to analyze data afterall. Well former job

[Chiptox]

It's a stupid poll. America is a huge place and there are plenty of ignorant sh*tkickers who don't even know the difference. Just some weird middle easterners that talk funny...
The Sikhs here have certainly gotten a ton of crap. Turban & Beard =/ Muslim