A recent Brookings Institution poll highlights a sharp rise in negative attitudes toward Muslims in America, with prejudice against them now exceeding that of any other religious, ethnic, or racial group. The survey reveals a significant increase in unfavourable views of Muslims and Islam, reminiscent of sentiments seen during the Trump administration.
Alarmingly, this rise in bias is particularly notable among Democrats, a group that previously served as a counterbalance to Trump’s rhetoric. The poll uncovers widespread prejudice across various demographics, though college-educated Americans tend to hold more favourable views of Muslims.
Conducted by the University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll (UMDCIP) between July 26 and August 1, the survey was released on Tuesday. It tracks shifts in American public attitudes toward Islam and Muslims and examines prejudice against several racial, religious, and ethnic groups, including Jews and Muslims.
The poll also reveals an increase in opposition to Muslim political candidates, even among those voters who agree with them politically. This opposition, especially pronounced among Republicans, now parallels the longstanding aversion to atheist candidates, highlighting the significant role religious identity plays in American politics.
The report notes that President Joe Biden’s statements during a period of heightened attention on the Israel-Gaza conflict, particularly his tone, which some have criticized as insensitive to Muslim and Arab civilian casualties, may contribute to a dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims.
The data underscores the fraying of America’s cultural fabric, with anti-Muslim sentiment playing a central role. As the nation approaches another election cycle, these trends suggest that the political landscape will be influenced not just by policy but by deep-seated prejudices.
The poll found that favourable views of Muslims among respondents were at 64%, compared to 86% for Jews, and favourable views of Islam were at 48%, compared to 77% for Judaism. The survey sampled 1,510 American adults, including oversamples of 202 Black respondents and 200 Hispanic respondents.
