DAR AL HARB - U.S.A.: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE NOT BUYING THE HYPE ABOUT HOW WELL ASSIMILATED MOSLEMS IN AMERICA ARE

Recent Muslim poll not entirely covered in newspaper stories

In the May 23 newspaper on page C-6, I took particular note of the news titled, "Muslims in U.S. say they're moderate."

It would be unfortunate if there are people in our area who get their news solely from The Post-Crescent or USA Today, the contributor of this story. For some reason, the complete story on the PEW Research Center's poll was not published.

One out of four (25 percent) of young U.S. Muslims believe that suicide bombings are justified to defend Islam. Only 40 percent of U.S. Muslims believe that Arabs carried out the Sept. 11 attacks. Another 28 percent don't. Since Sept. 11, 53 percent find it difficult to be Muslim in America.

Eide Alawan of the Islamic Outreach Center in Dearborn, Mich., is quoted as saying, "We have crazies just like other faiths have them." Since when do Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews or any other faiths rig car bombs or body bombs to kill innocent civilians in the name of their God or religion?

It certainly wasn't those religions that were responsible for every major terrorist attack around the world. Maybe there are some good people who practice Islam, but Americans need to take note. You're not being told the whole news story.

Adrienne Runge, New London


and


Don’t cheer Muslim assimilation just yet
by Kathleen Parker

What a relief to read in a new Pew Research Center study that Muslims in America are “largely assimilated, happy with their lives, and moderate with respect to many of the issues that have divided Muslims and Westerners around the world.”

Phew. Praise Allah. No more worries.

On the other hand, the study’s findings may depend on how you define “largely.”

Here’s another way of putting the Pew results: While a majority of older U.S. Muslims have largely assimilated, more than a few younger Muslims think suicide bombings are justified.

Having trouble remembering where you put those pompoms? Stick around. Despite the upbeat treatment of the Pew study – and headlines that conveyed a positive message – the devil in the details is less reassuring.

In fact, the survey found that though a majority of the 1,050 surveyed (a fraction of the Pew’s estimated 2.35 million Muslims in this country) are prospering, a significant minority are not assimilating and sympathize with radical Islam.

There is good news among the survey results, to be sure, especially if you’re Muslim. In classically American fashion, 71 percent think that one can get ahead by working hard and 78 percent report being happy. In delightful news, those who report being happiest are young Muslims ages 18-29, who also comprise 30 percent of the total U.S. Muslim population.

In less happy news, these young Muslims are also more accepting of Islamist extremism. Add to that disconcerting note the following:

Sixty percent of the young group consider themselves Muslim first, American second. Among all young Muslims, 26 percent think that suicide bombings are justified often, sometimes or rarely. Another 5 percent said they “don’t know” or refused to answer.

Don’t know? To kill civilians or not to kill civilians is not a tricky question.

If 26 percent are fine with suicide bombing and another 5 percent probably are, then we may reasonably conclude that 31 percent of young American Muslims – or roughly 219,000 – support murdering innocents in the name of Islam. Peachy. Given that 9/11 was a supersized suicide bombing, it would seem we have a problem.

In another finding of Muslim American disconnect, fewer than half of all American Muslims believe that Arabs engineered the 9/11 attacks. Another third expressed no opinion or refused to answer.

That means that the vast majority of Muslims in America think … what? That the U.S. attacked itself? That Israel did it?

...

All of the study’s conclusions depend, meanwhile, on whether one trusts its population figures, which Pew warns should be interpreted with caution. Since this was a telephone survey using only landlines – and given that 48 percent of Americans age 18-29 use cells phones exclusively – the number of young Muslims could be much higher than estimated.

The truth is, no one knows how many Muslims live in the U.S. because the Census Bureau doesn’t ask about religious identity. Muslim organizations put the figure at closer to 7 million based on mosque attendance.

If there are 7 million Muslims in the U.S., 30 percent of whom are young, 31 percent of whom do not forswear suicide bombings, then that could mean that as many as 651,000 young Muslim Americans sympathize with radical Islam and terrorism.

All things considered, it may be too soon to celebrate Muslim assimilation. Let’s do hold the fireworks.



Interesting math don't ya' all think?!?

If there are 2.35 million moslems in American, less than 200,000 of them are OK with suicide bombing in defense of islam...

If there are 7 million moslems in America, as C.A.I.R. & other sundry moslem organizations claim, than there are 651,000 moslems in America that find it OK to use suicide bombing in defense of islam...

Will C.A.IR. & others now stop saying there are 7 million moslems in America?!?

Wooo Hoooooooo ! ! ! Ain't it just grand?!? How many suicide bombings will it take, in the United States, to basically freak people out?!?


Pertinent Links:

1) Recent Muslim poll not entirely covered in newspaper stories

2) Don’t cheer Muslim assimilation just yet