September 9, 2009
Survey: Americans learning more about Islam, but say anti-Muslim discrimination persists
by Jay Lindsay
The Associated Press
Americans are learning more about Islam, and familiarity with the faith makes people more likely to view Muslims favorably and less likely to believe Islam encourages violence, according to a new study.
The survey by the Pew Research Center also showed that Americans still believe Muslims face far more discrimination than the nation's other religious groups.
The findings can be linked because increased knowledge about Muslims is tied to more sensitivity about bias they face, said Greg Smith, the report's senior researcher.
"To say that Muslims are discriminated against ... it's not the same thing as expressing an unfavorable view of Muslims. In fact it's just the opposite," he said. "People who are most sympathetic to a group are more likely to see that group as being discriminated against."
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