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Survey clears misconception about Muslims
The Muslim Times.com |
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It polled around 500 Muslims and 1,000 members of the general publicin each country. The research focused mainly on European Muslims in Britain, France and Germany.In its first annual report on the state of faith relations in countries spanning four continents, the research is an attempt to separate the perception from reality. |
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The last few years have been very difficult for Muslims in general and Western Muslims in particular. Over these years, they have been asked time and again to prove their loyalty towards the country of their birth in one way or the other.They have faced the suspicion of their own people with whom they have shared the space in schools, universities.Since 9/11, the general perception of the Western World about Muslims has been nothing short of being suspicious by the governments concerned (in a minor way) but majorly by its general public.Thousands of printed words have endorsed this view over the ensuing years and there is nothing enigmatic about it now.
The last few years have been very difficult for Muslims in general and Western Muslims in particular. Over these years, they have been asked time and again to prove their loyalty towards the country of their birth in one way or the other. They have faced the suspicion of their own people with whom they have shared the space in schools, universities, offices, malls and coffee shops.There was suspicion towards Muslims as well as a widely held view that measures to combat militancy (Islamic militancy as per mainstream media) may have alienated many European Muslims.
It seemed that it was just a bad phase of their existence.It seemed it was just a testing time of their patience. It seemed that it was just a perception about the Muslims by the general public based on the difficult circumstances of that time.The commentators of the western world since those September attacks in the US have repeatedly questioned the loyalties of European Muslims to the countries they live in.
In these back drops and to separate the myth from reality the prestigious Gallup and the Coexist Foundation took out a survey.
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Speaking to one of the leading International news channels, Dalia Mogahed, of Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and co-author of the report, said; “This research shows that many of the assumptions about Muslims and integration are wide of the mark. Further adding to it, she said, "European Muslims want to be part of the wider community and contribute even more to society."
Clearing the dust, the report by Gallup and the Coexist Foundation stated that compared with 50 % of the general British public, 77% of British Muslims identified with the UK. As per the survey, there was a similar finding in Germany as well.
In Britain, a large number of British Muslims (82%) felt Muslims were loyal citizens, but the general public remained suspicious of them. The report found that in Britain more than three-quarters of Muslims identified with the country and its institutions - far more than the general population did.
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In Germany, 40% of Muslims identified with the country against 32% of the wider public. They had higher levels of confidence in their national government than society as a whole, but much less faith in the media. They were also found far more likely than the general public to have confidence in the judicial system, financial institutions and the honesty of elections.In France, compared with 55% of the general public,52% of Muslims identified with the country, but they had much less confidence in nation’s institutions including police.
According to the survey,in comparison to United States and Canada, European Muslims felt far more isolated.
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Source: Gallop Poll |
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