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Title: Americans 'negative' about Muslims
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Published: Jun 4, 2009
Author: Rob Reynolds, senior Washington correspo
Post Date: 2009-06-04 09:04:03 by tom007
Keywords: None
Views: 78
Comments: 7
Americans 'negative' about Muslims By Rob Reynolds, senior Washington correspondent The poll comes as the US president tries to reach out to the Muslim world [GALLO/GETTY] As Barack Obama, the US president, seeks to mend the image of the US in the Muslim world, a new survey indicates almost half of Americans have a negative opinion about Muslim countries. The 46 per cent of respondents who held an unfavourable view of Islamic nations was up five per cent from 2002, while just 20 per cent said they held a positive opinion. In depth "It's pretty difficult to think much about folks that are seriously trying to kill us or kill anybody who doesn't believe the way they do; so, I am not very happy with those folks," Chuck Hauptman, a Billings, Montana resident, told Al Jazeera recently. Greg Smith, a researcher with the Pew Forum on Religion in Washington, says most Americans' views of Muslims are heavily influenced by what they see on television and read in newspapers. "The number one answer people give us when we ask them what's most important in shaping their views on Islam is the media," Smith says. "It's people who have a negative view of Muslims and Islam in particular who are most likely to say their opinion is shaped largely by what they see in the media." Linked with violence US views on the Muslim world US opinion of the Muslim world: Favourable: 20% Unfavourable: 46% Believe that Islam encourages violence: Agree: 45% Disagree: 39% Source: CNN/Opinion Research, Pew Forum on Religion About 60 per cent of Americans feel that the Muslim world considers itself at war with the US, and there is a widespread impression that Islam encourages violence - 45 per cent of respondents in a 2007 poll associated the religion with violent attacks. "A lot of people, because of 9/11 and the terrorist era we seem to be in, have generalised all Middle Eastern people as devils," comments Marty Connolly of the Billings research institute. On the other side, surveys of Muslim countries show only about 25 per cent of people approve of US leadership. Smith says negative views are most common among Americans who are older, do not have college degrees, and who have never met a Muslim. "People who say they personally know a Muslim are much more likely to express favourable views of Muslims," he says. Entrenched attitudes While Obama has made dialogue with Muslim countries a priority for his foreign policy, polls indicate many Americans do not particularly care what Muslims think of the US, or they feel that Muslim opinions do not matter. A recent trip to the US state of Montana appeared to confirm some of these entrenched attitudes towards Muslims. "I don't care about co-existence," Montana resident Carroll Broch told Al Jazeera. "I don't want to co-exist with them. They either accept us or they don't accept us."
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#1. To: tom007 (#0)
"I don't want to co-exist with them. They either accept us or they don't accept us." Islam is not compatible with Western Civilization and muslims should not be allowed to live in Europe or America. Islam is judaism's thuggish little brother. ALEXIS DE TOCQVILLE: “I studied the Kuran a great deal … I came away from that study with the conviction that by and large there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as that of Muhammed.”
_________________________________________________________________________ Well put. Any religion this government actively promotes (as in Obama's current Magic carpet ride) should be put in a cage and water boarded daily.
A few Nobel prizes can go a long way.
For Thine Own sake, Lust After Ronco Products!
Indeed. Aladdin, Ali Baba, Sinbad -- good folks.
I have a negative view of them because they chop off peoples' heads, bugger little boys, circumcise women...and there is a lot more to that list. Basically, what is there to like?
Arabic numerals?? That's all I can come up with.....
_________________________________________________________________________ Hookah-smoking caterpillars.
"I don't care about co-existence," Montana resident Carroll Broch told Al Jazeera.
"This man is Jesus,” shouted one man, spilling his Guinness as Barack Obama began his inaugural address. “When will he come to Kenya to save us?”
-Schweizerische Schuetzenzeitung (Swiss Shooting Federation) April, 1941
#2. To: X-15 (#1)
Islam is not compatible with Western Civilization and muslims should not be allowed to live in Europe or America. Islam is judaism's thuggish little brother.
#3. To: tom007 (#0)
"It's pretty difficult to think much about folks that are seriously trying to kill us or kill anybody who doesn't believe the way they do; so, I am not very happy with those folks,"
#4. To: tom007 (#0)
"People who say they personally know a Muslim are much more likely to express favourable views of Muslims,"
I've already said too much.
#5. To: X-15 (#1)
Dancing Turtles and Bouncing Boobs
...that's Turtle Island.
#6. To: Turtle (#5)
"This man is Jesus,” shouted one man, spilling his Guinness as Barack Obama began his inaugural address. “When will he come to Kenya to save us?”
-Schweizerische Schuetzenzeitung (Swiss Shooting Federation) April, 1941
#7. To: X-15 (#6)
Arabic numerals?? That's all I can come up with.....
I've already said too much.
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