Americans believe that many Muslims in the U.S. are not ‘American’ enough, according to a new study.
Americans also see little difference between Muslims from other countries and Muslim Americans, ‘suggesting that “Americanness” alone does not lead to more positive views,’ the study found.
Further, nearly 20 percent of Americans would deny Muslims who are U.S. citizens the right to vote, and many would support a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country, according to the report by the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group.
Americans view many Muslims in the U.S. as insufficiently ‘American’ according to a study by the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group. This chart shows Muslims with the least positive rating on a favorability scale in which respondents rated various demographic groups on a scale of 0 to 100
Perceptions split dramatically down party lines, with Democrats believing that more than two-thirds of Muslims wanted to fit in, while Republicans believed only 36 percent did.
Overall, respondents believed only 51 percent of Muslim Americans respect American ideals and laws, and only 56 percent want to fit in.
While the survey found major partisan lines in how people responded, Republicans and Democrats agreed on three perceptions: Muslims tend to be religious, have outdated views of women and outdated views of gay people.
Muslims were ranked the lowest of any demographic group – just behind feminists, with a score of 48 – on a favorability scale in which respondents rated various demographic groups on a scale of 0 to 100.
The perceptions among non-Muslims were inconsistent with how Muslims view themselves, with a large portion saying they consider themselves patriotic.
‘While these are disturbing perceptions, the survey itself shows that they are not a reflection of reality – in that American Muslims are well-integrated, patriotic and productive citizens – but are instead a product of misinformation and the active promotion of Islamophobia in our society,’ said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Muslims consistently ranked more unfavorably than Christians among Americans, with many Americans believing Muslims have outdated views of women and gay people
Hooper put the blame squarely on Donald Trump for the overwhelmingly negative perception of Muslims.
The president has been criticized by politicians on both sides of the aisle for his positions on Muslims – including his false statement that he saw thousands of Muslims in New Jersey cheering over the September 11 terrorist attack.
During the 2016 Republican presidential primary race, Republican Governor Jeb Bush said, ‘You talk about closing mosques, you talk about registering people — that’s just wrong.’
But reactions like those haven’t deterred the president from imposing policies that restrict people from many majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S.
The number of Muslims living in the United States is projected to double as a share of the U.S. population by 2050, according to the Pew Research Center.
Hoshneara Begun, a Bangladeshi American wears an American Flag hijab as she marches to protest President Donald Trump’s travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries. On average, most Americans believe that only 56 percent of Muslim Americans want to fit in