"Survey Offers Stark Perspectives on Muslim-American Identity, Loyalty"

[bunkerbuster1]

From FoxNoise:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,278334,00.html

WASHINGTON — While terrorists strap on bombs and wreak horrors half a world away, a debate continues in the United States over whether the seeds of such radicalism exist among the American-Muslim community.

Events like the arrest of a Brooklyn, N.Y., Muslim extremist last week for plotting to explode the fuel lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport, or the arrest a month earlier of men linked to an extremist group plotting to attack the military installation at Fort Dix, N.J., invigorates that debate.

A recent finding in the biggest survey ever taken of Muslim-Americans indicates that nearly a quarter of young Muslims believe homicide bombing can be justified to defend Islam, and 47 percent of all those surveyed consider themselves "Muslim first" ahead of being Americans.

Demographics breakdowns in the survey by Pew Research Center entitled "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream" may be the greatest cause for concern, say observers. Though 13 percent of all respondents said that suicide bombing in defense of Islam was justified under certain, albeit rare, circumstances, that number rose to 26 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 30.

I post this more as a warning than anything else--I've seen this Pew poll twisted to become something far more sinister than it is.

The question being asked is this: "Can Suicide Bombing of Civilian Targets to Defend Islam be Justified?"

Now, I'd like for the result to be about 0%, not the 8% "Often/sometimes" or 5% "Rarely" found among all American Muslims surveyed. But ask anyone who brings up this Fox Noise interpretation: what would the result be if you changed "Islam" to "Christianity"? Think you wouldn't get any takers from the radical right?

And while you're at it, take the word "Suicide" out--really, a bombing IS a bombing--and I bet it'd climb to parity. After all, "Christians" back the bombing of civilian targets to defend "our way of life" with alarming regularity.

The Pew Poll is here:
http://pewresearch.org/assets/pdf/muslim-americans.pdf
And it's worth reading, because it's actually quite reassuring in most respects.

[leveymg]

1. You're probably right. A slight change of the wording and demographic group would be revealing

If the question being asked is this: "Can Air or Artillery Bombardment of Civilian Targets to Defend American Troops be Justified?", it would not be surprising to see more than half of all Americans polled answer in the affirmative.

It's the word "defend" that's significant here, as defensive action is considered ethical by most theologians and statesmen, regardless of nationality or religion. It's always little cue words like that which skew the results of surveys so that they can be spun by politicians.

Pew has an agenda, here.

Not surprising, at all.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. My own earlier post on some slanted reporting re. the recent Pew poll:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=283441&mesg_id=283441

excerpt: Unfortunately, even in the report, the answers "often" and "sometimes" are conflated. Still, it's clear that only among a certain age cohort is it at all common to express support for suicide bombers. And frankly, no one should get excited about numbers down in the 2-3% range, because that's below the margin of error of the poll (5% at 95% confidence)! Pick a sample of ANY group of people in a random poll, and ask "How many are just plain nuts?" and you'll get numbers higher than that, even when the answers are voluntary.

[bunkerbuster1]

4. Great minds often/sometimes think alike!

Sorry for the dupe, I guess... well, sorrier i didn't see your post earlier.

But I hope we've given some other folks some ammo when they're confronted with these cherry-picked poll questions, as they surely will be in the months ahead.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. More posts = more eyeballs. No problemo. nt

[bunkerbuster1]

3. Whoa... the villian isn't Pew

Have a look at the actual report. It's overwhelmingly positive, about how Muslims are finding their way as Americans in America.

It's Fox News and other right-wing cretins (I saw links to this story in a knuckle-dragger forum that will remain nameless) that are spinning the poll results of one (1) question out of many asked of Muslims in America.

That said, I agree fully with your sentiment that if the question were worded as you suggest, well over half--probably more like 85%--would Strongly Agree.