Saturday, September 29, 2007

"Although 58 percent of respondents said they knew little or nothing about Islamic practices, 70 percent of non-Muslims said Islam is very different from their own religion. Pew Forum senior fellow John Green said that respondents' knowledge of Islam might be even lower than the survey results suggest. He said that survey respondents "tend to overestimate their own knowledge, so these figures may well underestimate their lack of knowledge." The survey said that public attitudes toward Muslims have grown more negative in recent years, with 35 percent of respondents expressing an unfavorable view toward Muslims. In 2002, the figure was 29 percent. Respondents who knew a Muslim were more likely to express positive views about Islam, as were college graduates.""