November 30, 2005

In simultaneous press conferences held this morning in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, the Muslim Public Affairs Council unveiled results from a groundbreaking poll of young American Muslims. Among the primary findings of the poll is that more than half (54%) of American Muslims between the ages of 14-26 feel no conflict between their Muslim identity and their American identity.

SEE: "Muslim, American, or Both: A Survey of Young American Muslims Post-London Attacks"

SEE: Executive Summary of Survey Results 

The poll, which gathered the views of 200 young American Muslims attending the 42nd annual ISNA Convention in September 2005, focused on three areas: (1) Islamic education, (2) identity, and (3) civic participation. Key findings include:

Islamic Education

• 69% reported that their primary source of Islamic education is the mosque or their home.
• 68% said they believed that jurisprudence developed in the Unites States by Muslim scholars is as legitimate as the jurisprudence developed in the Muslim world.

Identity

• 56% feel no conflict between their American identity and their Muslim identity.
• 70% said they noticed "significant hostility" toward Muslims in the general American public.
• 38% believe the general American public recognizes this hostility, but 60% believe that they are accepted as part of the nation's pluralism.

Civic Participation

• 99% believe national Muslim organizations should "engage in dialogue with government and the general American public to get our rights."
• 43% said their opinion changed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks or the London attacks.
• 94% said Muslims should be involved in the American political process "even though they may disagree with the government's foreign policy."
• 11% said "such disagreement makes you less American than others."

While nearly half of young American Muslims reported feeling a conflict between their American identity and Muslim identity, nearly three-quarters (70%) said they had experienced hostility from the general American public as a result of their faith. A perceived lack of acceptance from other Americans may account in part for the conflict many feel as a result of their unique identity. Since 75% of those polled felt that American Muslim engagement with government and the American public are necessary in order to realize their goal of full-citizenship, the identity conflict does not appear to be a product of religious ideology but of acceptance by the general American public.

"Anti-Muslim rhetoric and discrimination are an impediment to the full integration for all Muslim Americans," said MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati. "Since media portrayals of Islam and Muslims and government policies have a great impact on public opinion, these institutions should contribute to cultivating an accurate and enriching understanding of Islam and Muslims by the general American public."

American Muslims account for six to eight million of the American population. Nearly 40% of American Muslims are under the age of 29, according to an April 2002 Cornell University study. Within these parameters, it is projected that there are 2.4 to 3.2 million American Muslims below the age of 29.