{"id":49546,"date":"2013-05-07T08:45:35","date_gmt":"2013-05-07T13:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2013\/05\/07\/after-boston-little-change-in-views-of-islam-and-violence\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T12:08:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T16:08:45","slug":"after-boston-little-change-in-views-of-islam-and-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2013\/05\/07\/after-boston-little-change-in-views-of-islam-and-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"After Boston, Little Change in Views of Islam and Violence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The public\u2019s views of whether Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence have changed little in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"5-7-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Currently, 42% say Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers, while 46% say Islam does not encourage violence more than other religions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are similar to opinions about Islam and violence for most of the past decade. But in March 2002, six months after the 9\/11 attacks, just 25% said Islam was more likely to encourage violence while 51% disagreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"5-7-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted May 1-5 among 1,504 adults, finds sizable demographic and religious differences in attitudes toward Islam and violence. And the partisan gap is as large as ever: 62% of Republicans say that Islam encourages violence more than other religions, compared with 39% of independents and just 29% of Democrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The survey also finds that Muslim Americans are seen as facing more discrimination than some other groups in society, including gays and lesbians, Hispanic Americans, African Americans and women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"5-7-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Overall, 45% say that Muslim Americans face a lot of discrimination, and 28% say they are subject to some discrimination. Only about one-in-five say that Muslim Americans face only a little (13%) or no discrimination (6%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About four-in-ten (39%) say that gays and lesbians face a lot of discrimination. Smaller percentages say that Hispanic Americans (25%), African Americans (22%) and women (15%) face a lot of discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opinions about Islam and Violence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most young people continue to reject the idea that Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers. Six-in-ten (60%) of those younger than 30 say <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"5-7-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Islam does not encourage violence more than other religions, as do 54% of those 30 to 49. By contrast, about half of those 50 to 64 (51%) and 65 and older (53%) say that Islam is more likely to encourage violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There also are gender differences in these opinions: By 48% to 39%, men say Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence; women, by 52% to 35%, disagree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wide partisan differences in these opinions are even starker among ideological groups: Fully 69% of conservative Republicans say Islam encourages violence more than other religions. About the same percentage of liberal Democrats (71%) say that Islam is no more likely than other religions to encourage violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among religious groups, most white evangelical Protestants (63%) say that Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence. White Catholics are divided (43% more likely, 43% not more likely).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 53% to 40%, white mainline Protestants say Islam does not encourage violence more than other religions. The balance of opinion is similar among the religiously unaffiliated (54% to 35%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Views of Discrimination against Muslim Americans, Other Groups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are sizable partisan differences in views of discrimination against Muslim Americans and other groups included in the survey. Nearly twice as many Democrats (57%) as Republicans (29%) say Muslim Americans face a lot of discrimination. About half of independents (47%) say the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"5-7-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Democrats also are more likely than Republicans to see a lot of discrimination against Hispanics (by 23 points), African Americans (22 points), gays and lesbians (19 points) and women (11 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age also is a factor in these opinions: About half of those under 30 (51%) and 30-49 (49%) say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslim Americans. That compares with 42% of those 50-64 and just 35% of those 65 and older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There also are substantial differences between the youngest and oldest age groups in perceptions of discrimination against gays and lesbians: 51% of those younger than 30 think there is a lot of discrimination against gays and lesbians, compared with 28% of those 65 and older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, blacks, whites and Hispanics are all about equally likely to say there is a great deal of discrimination against Muslim Americans (47% of blacks and Hispanics and 45% of whites). When it comes to perceptions of discrimination against blacks and Hispanics, however, the differences are much greater. Nearly half of blacks (46%) say there is a lot of discrimination against African Americans, compared with a quarter of Hispanics (25%) and 16% of whites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About four-in-ten blacks (43%) and Hispanics (38%) say there is a lot of discrimination against Hispanic Americans, compared with 20% of whites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, blacks are about as likely to say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslim Americans (47%) and Hispanic Americans (43%) as against African Americans (46%). Far more whites see a lot of discrimination against Muslim Americans than either Hispanic Americans (20%) or African Americans (16%).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The public\u2019s views of whether Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence have changed little in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. Currently, 42% say Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers, while 46% say Islam does not encourage violence more than other religions. 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