{"id":72323,"date":"2016-02-03T09:54:39","date_gmt":"2016-02-03T14:54:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2016\/02\/03\/republicans-prefer-blunt-talk-about-islamic-extremism-democrats-favor-caution\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T23:58:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T03:58:35","slug":"republicans-prefer-blunt-talk-about-islamic-extremism-democrats-favor-caution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2016\/02\/03\/republicans-prefer-blunt-talk-about-islamic-extremism-democrats-favor-caution\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans Prefer Blunt Talk About Islamic Extremism, Democrats Favor Caution"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24442\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e4eaec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e4eaec;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" class=\"wp-image-24442 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-13.png\" alt=\"Republicans and Democrats disagree on how the next president should talk about Islamic extremists\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Half of Americans say the next president should be careful not to criticize Islam as a whole when speaking about Islamic extremists, while four-in-ten want the next president to speak bluntly about Islamic extremists even if the statements are critical of Islam as a whole. A new Pew Research Center survey finds that blunt talk is preferred by two-thirds of Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party (65%), while seven-in-ten Democrats and independents who lean Democratic express the opposite view, saying the next president should speak carefully about Islamic extremism so as not to criticize Islam as a whole.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2016\/02\/03\/republicans-prefer-blunt-talk-about-islamic-extremism-democrats-favor-caution\/pf_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-12\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-24444\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24444\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-12.png\" alt=\"Half think at least some Muslims in the U.S. are anti-American\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study also shows that many Americans think a substantial segment of the U.S. Muslim population is anti-American. While four-in-ten adults say \u201cjust a few\u201d Muslims in the country are anti-American (or that none are), roughly half of the public believes that at least \u201csome\u201d U.S. Muslims are anti-American, including 11% who say \u201cmost\u201d or \u201calmost all\u201d U.S. Muslims are anti-American and 14% who think \u201cabout half\u201d the U.S. Muslim population is anti-American.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24482\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ebebea\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ebebea;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" class=\"wp-image-24482 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-11.png.png\" alt=\"What is the bigger problem about violence in the name of religion?\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new findings come on the heels of a separate Pew Research Center <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2015\/12\/15\/views-of-governments-handling-of-terrorism-fall-to-post-911-low\/\">survey<\/a> conducted in December 2015, which found that 46% of Americans think Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence and that a similar share (49%) say they are \u201cvery concerned\u201d about the rise of Islamic extremism in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While many Americans are concerned about Islamic extremism, the new survey shows that most people think the problem with violence committed in the name of religion is <em>people<\/em> rather than with <em>religion<\/em> per se. Indeed, fully two-thirds of Americans say the bigger problem is that some violent people use religion to justify their actions (68%). Only about a fifth (22%) say the bigger problem is that the teachings of some religions promote violence.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, when those who say they think religious teachings are the bigger problem are asked to specify <em>which<\/em> religions they think are problematic, Islam is the most common response offered. Among U.S. adults overall, 14% think the main problem with violence committed in the name of religion is that some religious teachings encourage violence and that Islam, in particular, does this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a id=\"blunt-talk\"><\/a>The survey shows a clear partisan component to views about Islam. Whereas more than half of Democrats say \u201cjust a few\u201d Muslims in the U.S. are anti-American, most Republicans think anti-Americanism is more widespread. About six-in-ten Republicans and those who lean toward the GOP think at least \u201csome\u201d U.S. Muslims harbor anti-American views, including one-third who think at least half of Muslims are anti-American. Views on this question have become more politically polarized since it was last asked in 2002. At that time, there was little difference in the shares of Republicans and Democrats who said \u201cjust a few\u201d Muslims are anti-American.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24446\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e8e0db\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e8e0db;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" class=\"wp-image-24446 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-10.png\" alt=\"Republicans more likely than Democrats to say some religions' teachings promote violence\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to say the main problem with violence committed in the name of religion is that some religions espouse violent teachings (though this is the minority view within both parties at 32% and 15%, respectively).<\/p>\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;americans-divided-over-how-next-president-should-talk-about-islamic-extremists&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"americans-divided-over-how-next-president-should-talk-about-islamic-extremists\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Americans divided over how next president should talk about Islamic extremists<\/h3>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24447\"><img data-dominant-color=\"efefef\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #efefef;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" class=\"wp-image-24447 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-09.png\" alt=\"Half want next president to be careful when talking about Islamic extremists\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Half of Americans (50%) say the next president should \u201cbe careful not to criticize Islam as a whole when speaking about Islamic extremists,\u201d while four-in-ten (40%) say the next president should \u201cspeak bluntly about Islamic extremists even if the statements are critical of Islam as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Views on how the next president should address Islamic extremism are firmly divided along partisan and ideological lines. Seven-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (70%) \u2013 including eight-in-ten liberal Democrats (80%) \u2013 say the next president should be careful not to criticize Islam as a whole. By contrast, about two-thirds of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (65%) \u2013 including seven-in-ten conservative Republicans (70%) \u2013 want the next president to speak bluntly about extremism even if it means being critical of Islam.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among religious groups, most black Protestants (62%) and people without a religious affiliation (65%) say the president should be careful not to criticize Islam as a whole when addressing Islamic extremism. By contrast, about six-in-ten white evangelical Protestants (61%) want the next president to speak bluntly when discussing Islamic extremism, even if that means being critical of Islam. Catholics and white mainline Protestants are more evenly divided on this question.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blacks and adults under age 30 are more likely than whites and older adults to prefer the next president take care not to criticize Islam as a whole. The survey also finds that roughly two-thirds of Americans with a post-graduate degree want the next president to be careful not to criticize Islam as a whole when discussing Islamic extremism; fewer Americans with less education share this perspective.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to addressing how the next president should approach Islamic extremism, the survey asked Americans what kind of president several of the leading candidates would make if elected \u2013 great, good, average, poor or terrible. (For a complete analysis, see <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2016\/01\/20\/voters-skeptical-that-2016-candidates-would-make-good-presidents\/\">\u201cVoters Skeptical That 2016 Candidates Would Make Good Presidents.\u201d<\/a>) The data show that among Republican voters who want the next president to speak bluntly about Islamic extremism even if it means being critical of Islam (69% of all Republican voters), a solid majority thinks that both Donald Trump (63%) and Ted Cruz (61%) would be good or great presidents. The possibility of Marco Rubio and Ben Carson becoming president also is viewed more positively than negatively by Republican voters who prefer a blunt approach to discussing Islamic extremism. About half say that Carson (47%) or Rubio (46%) would make either a good or great president.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2016\/02\/03\/republicans-prefer-blunt-talk-about-islamic-extremism-democrats-favor-caution\/pf_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-08\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-24448\"><img data-dominant-color=\"efefef\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #efefef;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" class=\"wp-image-24448 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-08.png\" alt=\"Among Republican voters, most who favor blunt talk about extremists say Trump, Cruz would make 'good' or 'great' presidents\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the much smaller group of GOP voters who would like the next president to be careful not to criticize Islam when discussing extremism \u2013 26% of all GOP voters \u2013 about as many say Donald Trump would make a poor or terrible president (40%) as say he would make a good or great one (41%). For Ted Cruz, attitudes among this group of Republican voters are mostly positive (38% good or great) or average (35%).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Views on whether some other Republican candidates (Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and John Kasich) would be successful presidents are for the most part mixed regardless of whether blunt talk or careful speech about Islamic extremism is preferred.<\/p>\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;attitudes-on-violence-committed-in-the-name-of-religion&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"attitudes-on-violence-committed-in-the-name-of-religion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Attitudes on violence committed in the name of religion<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked their view about violence committed in the name of religion, most Americans (68%) say the bigger problem is that \u201csome violent people use religion to justify their actions.\u201d Only about one-in-five (22%) say the bigger problem is that \u201cthe teachings of some religions promote violence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latter group was asked an open ended follow-up question about which religion or religions promote violence. Islam is the most commonly offered answer; 14% of Americans believe Islam, in particular, has teachings that promote violence. Far fewer people name Christianity or another religion (1%). About 2% say that multiple religions (or all religions) encourage violence.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across major religious groups, half or more say the bigger problem with violence committed in the name of religion is that some violent people use religion to justify their actions; 55% of white evangelical Protestants and fully three-quarters of the religiously unaffiliated (76%) express this view.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Majorities of most partisan and ideological groups say the greater problem with religious violence is people who use religion to justify it. Among conservative Republicans, however, the balance of opinion is more divided. While about half (48%) say the bigger problem is violent people using religion to justify their actions, 39% say some religions have teachings that encourage violence. This latter group includes fully a third of all conservative Republicans who name Islam as a religion with teachings that encourage violence.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The survey also shows that younger people and those with higher levels of educational attainment are more likely than older and less highly educated people to attribute religious violence to individuals who use religion to justify violent acts.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2016\/02\/03\/republicans-prefer-blunt-talk-about-islamic-extremism-democrats-favor-caution\/pf_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-14\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-24489\"><img data-dominant-color=\"cbdee7\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #cbdee7;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" class=\"wp-image-24489 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-14.png\" alt=\"Most say the bigger problem with violence in the name of religion is violent people justifying their actions, rather than that religious teachings promote violence\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;perceptions-of-anti-americanism-among-muslims-in-the-u-s&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"perceptions-of-anti-americanism-among-muslims-in-the-u-s\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Perceptions of anti-Americanism among Muslims in the U.S.<\/h3>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24450\"><img data-dominant-color=\"69563c\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #69563c;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" class=\"wp-image-24450 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-06.png\" alt=\"Half say at least some Muslims in the U.S. are anti-American\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roughly four-in-ten Americans (42%) say \u201cfew,\u201d if any, Muslims in the U.S. are anti-American. About as many say \u201cabout half\u201d (14%) or \u201csome\u201d (24%) Muslims in this country are anti-American. And about one-in-ten Americans believe that \u201cmost\u201d (6%) or \u201calmost all\u201d (5%) Muslims in the U.S. are anti-American.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though few Americans say all or most Muslims in the U.S. are anti-American, this view is more common among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (16%) than among Democrats and Democratic leaners (7%). Roughly a fifth of conservative Republicans (19%) express this view, compared with 5% of liberal Democrats.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conversely, fewer than a third of Republicans and Republican leaners (29%) say that few or none of the Muslims in this country are anti-American, while about half of Democrats (54%) \u2014 including 67% of liberal Democrats \u2014 say this.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The religiously unaffiliated are more likely than other major religious groups to say that few or none of the Muslims in the U.S. are anti-American (59%). White evangelical Protestants are the least likely to say this (26%).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The belief that few, if any, U.S. Muslims are anti-American also is more common among younger people than among older Americans and among those with high levels of education than among those with less schooling.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attitudes about anti-American sentiment among U.S. Muslims have changed only modestly for the public overall since the question last was asked in 2002. At that time, 9% of Americans thought \u201cmost\u201d or \u201calmost all\u201d Muslims in the U.S. were anti-American (compared with 11% today); 33% thought \u201cabout half\u201d or \u201csome\u201d Muslims were anti-American (compared with 39% today); and 39% thought only \u201ca few\u201d Muslims were anti-American (compared with 41% today).<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24451\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24451\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-05.png\" alt=\"Views about anti-Americanism among U.S. Muslims have grown more partisan\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;views-of-discrimination-against-muslims-in-the-u-s&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"views-of-discrimination-against-muslims-in-the-u-s\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Views of discrimination against Muslims in the U.S.<\/h3>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24452\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e7e3e3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e7e3e3;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" class=\"wp-image-24452 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-04.png\" alt=\"Many say U.S. Muslims face 'a lot' of discrimination\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most Americans (59%) say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims in the U.S. today. This view is particularly common among Democrats (74%); far fewer Republicans and Republican leaners say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims (42%). And among conservative Republicans, only about one-in-three (32%) say this, while nearly two thirds (62%) say there is not a lot of discrimination against Muslims in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among religious groups, fewer than half of white evangelicals (44%) say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims in the U.S., compared with half of white mainline Protestants (50%) and two-thirds of black Protestants (67%). Six-in-ten Catholics (61%) and roughly three-quarters of religious \u201cnones\u201d (73%) say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roughly eight-in-ten adults under age 30 (79%) say there is a lot of anti-Muslim discrimination in the U.S.; far fewer older adults say the same. The data also show that blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to say Muslims face a lot of discrimination in the U.S.\nMost Americans (76%) \u2013 including majorities of all major partisan and demographic groups \u2013 say discrimination against Muslims living in the U.S. is increasing. Even most of those who think there is not a lot of discrimination against Muslims nevertheless think anti-Muslim discrimination is on the rise (56%).<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24453\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f5f4f0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f5f4f0;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 415px) 100vw, 415px\" class=\"wp-image-24453 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-03.png\" alt=\"Most say discrimination against U.S. Muslims is on the rise\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;familiarity-with-muslims&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"familiarity-with-muslims\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Familiarity with Muslims<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24454\"><img data-dominant-color=\"cde4ec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #cde4ec;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" class=\"wp-image-24454 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-02.png\" alt=\"Half of Americans know someone who is Muslim\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blacks, young people and those with a college degree are more likely than other groups to say they personally know someone who is Muslim. This may be explained, in part, by the demographics of Muslims themselves, who make up about <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2016\/01\/06\/a-new-estimate-of-the-u-s-muslim-population\/\">1% of the U.S. population<\/a>. Muslims in the U.S. tend to be younger and more <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2011\/08\/30\/section-1-a-demographic-portrait-of-muslim-americans\/\">highly educated than the U.S. public<\/a> overall. And about a quarter of U.S. Muslims (23%) identify as black or African American.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among those who personally know someone who is Muslim, half (51%) say that \u201cjust a few\u201d U.S. Muslims are anti-American. By comparison, among those who do not know anyone who is Muslim, 31% think \u201cjust a few\u201d U.S. Muslims are anti-American while a larger share (55%) say at least some Muslims in the U.S. are anti-American.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/?attachment_id=24455\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e8e6e5\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e8e6e5;\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" class=\"wp-image-24455 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2016\/02\/PF_2016-02-02_views-islam-politics-01.png\" alt=\"Those who know someone who is Muslim more likely to say few U.S. Muslims are anti-American\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study also finds differing views on how the next president should speak about Islamic extremists among those who personally know someone who is Muslim and those who do not. More than half of those who say they know a Muslim (55%) would prefer that the next president be careful not to criticize Islam as a whole when speaking about Islamic extremists, while 38% favor blunt speech from the next president even if it is critical of Islam. By contrast, those who do not know anyone who is Muslim hold mixed views on how the next president should discuss Islamic extremists. As many favor a careful approach (45%) as say they want the next president to speak bluntly (42%).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the subject of discrimination, however, majorities of both those who personally know someone who is Muslim (62%) and those who do not (57%) say Muslims face \u201ca lot\u201d of discrimination in the U.S. today. And roughly three-quarters in both groups say discrimination toward Muslims is increasing.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, people who know a Muslim and those who do not largely agree that the bigger problem with religion committed in the name of violence is that violent people use religion to justify their action, not that some religions have teachings that promote violence.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Half of Americans say the next president should be careful not to criticize Islam as a whole when speaking about Islamic extremists, while four-in-ten want the next president to speak bluntly about Islamic extremists even if the statements are critical of Islam as a whole. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":367,"featured_media":85342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","sub_headline":"Most Americans say religion doesn\u2019t cause violence, but rather that violent people use religion to justify their actions 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