Modbert
Daydream Believer
- Sep 2, 2008
- 33,178
- 3,055
- 48
washingtonpost.com
I have a feeling most of those people who think Obama is a Muslim likely think most Muslims in the U.S are not patriotic Americans.
The number of Americans who believe -- wrongly -- that President Obama is a Muslim has increased significantly since his inauguration and now account for nearly 20 percent of the nation's population.
Those results, from a new Pew Research Center survey, were drawn from interviews done before the president's comments about the construction of an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero, and they suggest that there could be serious political danger for the White House as the debate continues.
The president's religion, like his place of birth, has been the subject of Internet-spread rumors and falsehoods since before he began his presidential campaign, and the poll indicates that those rumors have gained currency since Obama took office. The number of people who now correctly identify Obama as a Christian has dropped to 34 percent, down from nearly half when he took office.
Among those who say Obama is a Muslim, 60 percent say they learned about his religion from the media, suggesting that their opinions are fueled by misinformation. More than a third of conservative Republicans now say Obama is a Muslim, nearly double the percentage saying so early last year.
In the Time poll, 25 percent say most Muslims in the United States are not patriotic Americans. But the survey also indicates that the public's opposition to the center may be more complicated than just anti-Muslim sentiment. Fifty-five percent said they would accept a Muslim community center and place of worship two blocks from their own home.
I have a feeling most of those people who think Obama is a Muslim likely think most Muslims in the U.S are not patriotic Americans.