Muslim-Americans Pew Study On Terrorism and Social Issues

Vox reminds us of a 2011 Pew Research Center poll which surveyed over a thousand American Muslim on issues ranging from terrorism to diversity to friendship and marriage. As Vox says, “Muslims have the same habits and same concerns as other Americans — they’re just as worried about terrorism as anyone else living in the country. And they’re also just as likely to enjoy the same hobbies and pastimes as other Americans.”

Here’s the survey results per Vox:

– Muslim Americans have similar concerns about terrorism as the general population Sixty percent of Muslim Americans expressed concerns about the rise of Islamic extremism in the US, compared to 67 percent of the general public. Additionally, 72 percent of Muslim Americans said they were concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism around the world, compared to 74 percent of the general public.
– Muslims are just as likely as other Americans to have a college degree — 26 percent of Muslim Americans, 28 percent of the general public.
– Muslims chances of being self-employed or owning a small business are practically identical to other Americans — 20 percent of Muslim Americans, 17 percent of the general public.
– Muslims are just as likely to be married as other Americans — 55 percent of Muslim Americans are married compared to 54 percent of the general public. Fewer Muslim Americans report being divorced, however — 6 percent versus 13 percent of the general public.
– Most Muslim Americans registered to vote, and in the 2008 presidential election, 64 percent of Muslim Americans voted compared to 76 percent of the general public. An overwhelming 92 percent of Muslim Americans said they voted for Barack Obama; Only 71 percent voted for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004.
– Muslims are nearly as likely to live in a household that makes more than $100,000 as other Americans — 14 percent of Muslim Americans versus 16 percent of the general public. More Muslims do live in poverty than the general public, however — 45 percent of Muslim Americans report household incomes of $30,000 or less compared to 36 percent of the general public.
– And like many other Americans, Muslims have close friends from a variety of backgrounds and faiths. Only 7 percent of Muslims interviewed said all of their close friends were also Muslim.