Poll: Fewer People Link Islam, Violence

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - The percentage of Americans who believe Islam is more likely than other religions to inspire violence has declined in the past two years, according to a poll taken after the London bombings.

Just over a third, 36 percent, now say the Islamic religion is more likely to inspire violence, while 44 percent said that in July 2003, according to the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

"This may have to do with some backing off of negative opinions the American public had of Muslims in 2002 and 2003," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center.

The poll found that recent terrorist bombings in London have had no noticeable impact on the public's view of Muslim-Americans or of Islam.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050726/ap_on_re_us/muslims_violence

[skids]

1. maybe there is hope for us yet n/t

[Voltaire99]

2. America is somewhat smarter than its politicians.

Despite the best efforts of pols in both parties to alarm us about Islam, the public may be wise enough to realize that we live in a world of consequences--one where state policies are better predictors than religion in calculating what produces terrorism.

Juan Cole has recently argued, quite successfully, imo (http://www.juancole.com/2005/07/straw-backs-down-on-iraq-link-on.html), that it's time for citizens in the West to acknowledge terrorism as a policy cost. Not that every policy that leads to terrorism should automatically be rejected. Some, however, should. Obvious case in point: the Iraq war.

Rationality, in other words, in lieu of imperialism and Christian supremacism.

This will require a more honest appraisal of US policy than either elected Democrats or Republicans have proved capable of. Time that we started weeding out the militarist belligerents in our party and worked on promoting an alternative to imperialism.

[Cocoa]

3. great news

this really makes my day.

But I'm sure someone is working on it... :mad:

[Cocoa]

4. kick

:bounce:

[K-W]

5. Wow, awesome. EOM

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Kraklen]

7. You're right.

That is pure crap.