Gallup Muslim American Report Shows Striking Trends

by Shawn Dye, a summer intern

The Abu Dhabi Gallup Center recently released its new report, “Muslim Americans: Faith, Freedom, and the Future,” which examines U.S. Muslims’ political, social and spiritual engagement a decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The report found that Muslim Americans are “satisfied with their current lives and are more optimistic than other faith groups that things are getting better.” Muslim Americans tend to be more optimistic about the political climate in the U.S. and those who attend religious services at least once a week have higher levels of civic engagement. The report upholds the notion of community leaders using mosques as mobilizing platforms to encourage Muslim Americans toward greater civic engagement.

The findings of the report not only convey general trends specific to the Muslim American community on issues related to violence and optimism for the nation’s government and economy, but it also shows these perspectives relative to other religious groups in America. Muslim Americans are generally less likely than Americans of other religious groups to take unpopular stands to defend their faith, a majority of Americans of every faith see Muslim Americans as being loyal to their country, and Muslims are least likely of all religious groups to justify targeting civilians, whether done by the military or by “an individual person or a small group of persons.”

Despite recent threats aimed at terrorizing Muslim Americans like burning the Qu’ran, hate crimes and opposition to mosque construction, the report shows that Muslim Americans are “thriving,” optimistic and, that out of the other religious groups in the nation, their views are most in line with international law, which prohibits the deliberate targeting of civilians under any circumstances. It is clear that the findings put to rest many of the assumptions and stereotypes many Americans use to fuel anti-Muslim sentiments.

Assessing the degree of anti-Muslim discrimination in America, engaging and leveraging Muslim Americans’ expertise in the nation’s foreign policy, and recognizing the mosque as an important institution of Muslim American mobilization were among the recommendations of the report.