Attitudes Toward Muslims Mixed in Europe and the U.S.

A new Financial Times/Harris Poll of cross sections of adults in the five largest European countries and the United States looks at attitudes toward Muslims and finds differing opinions on Muslims as a threat to national security, prejudice towards Muslims and whether parents would object to a child marrying a Muslim.

When it comes to Muslims as a threat to national security, the British are the most wary as 38 percent say the presence of Muslims in their country is a threat, followed by 30 percent of Italians and 28 percent of Germans who believe the same. Approximately one in five French (20%), American (21%) and Spanish (23%) adults also say the presence of Muslims in their respective countries is a threat to national security. With the exception of Spain and Great Britain, where large pluralities say the presence of Muslims does present a threat to national security, majorities of adults in the other four countries say they do not present a threat.

These are some of the results of a Financial Times/Harris Poll conducted online by Harris Interactive® among a total of 6,398 adults aged 16 to 64 within France; Germany, Great Britain, Spain, the United States, and adults aged 18 to 64 in Italy, between August 1 and 13, 2007.

Half of French adults (51%) as well as just under half of Italians (49%) and Americans (47%) believe that Muslims in their country have become the subject of unjustified criticism and prejudice. In the other three countries surveyed, adults are more likely to believe Muslims are not the subject of unfair prejudice. Just under half of Spanish (47%), British (44%) and German (43%) adults all believe Muslims in their country have not become the subject of unfair criticism and prejudice. It is interesting to note that two of these countries, Spain and Great Britain, are where the two most recent Al Quada attacks in Europe have occurred.

In general, large numbers of both European and American adults are not sure whether Muslims have too much or too little political power in their country; in fact, half of American adults (49%) say they are not sure. Adults in Great Britain, however, do have an opinion: While just over a quarter (28%) are not sure, just under half (46%) believe Muslims have too much power. One-third of Germans (33%) and Italians (34%) also believe Muslims have too much political power. Fewer than one in ten adults in each of the six countries believes Muslims have too little political power.

Those who do not have children are a little less likely to say they would object to their child marrying a Muslim than those who have children. One-third of Germans (35%) who do not have children as well as 27 percent of Italians, one-quarter of Britons (25%) and 22 percent of Americans without children say if they were to have a child one day, they would object if the child wanted to marry a Muslim. The French and Spanish are least likely to object. In fact almost two-thirds of French adults (64%) and 57 percent of Spaniards say they would not object if a potential child wanted to marry a Muslim.

Among those who already have children, just half of French and Spanish adults say they would not object to their children marrying a Muslim (51% and 50% respectively). Two in five Americans (40%) and Germans (39%) as well as 36 percent of Britons and 29 percent of Italians would object.

Some of the objections may be due to the fact that not many people in these six countries have friends who are Muslim. Majorities of adults in Spain (70%), Italy (67%), Germany (61%), the U.S. (60%) and Great Britain (55%) say they have no friends who are Muslim. One exception is in France where more than two-thirds (69%) of adults have Muslim friends.

"Does the presence of Muslims in your country pose a threat to national security or not?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Have Muslims in your country become the subject of unjustified criticism and prejudice or not?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Do you think Muslims have too much, too little or the right amount of political power in your country?"

Base: All EU adults in 5 countries and in the US

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"If you were to have a child one day, would you object to them wanting to marry a Muslim?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults who do not have children

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Would you object if your child wanted to marry a Muslim?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults who have children

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Do you have any friends who are Muslim?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

This FT/Harris Poll was conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,398 adults (aged 16-64) within France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and the United States and adults (aged 18-64) in Italy between 1 and 13 August 2007. Figures for age, sex, education, region and Internet usage were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

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