Muslims are a growing presence in U.S.

, but still face negative views from the public

An unprecedented amount of public attention focused on Muslim Americans in the wake of

the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The U.S. Muslim population has grown in the two decades
since, but it is still the case that many Americans know little about Islam or Muslims, and views
toward Muslims have become increasingly polarized along political lines.

There were about 2.35 million Muslim adults and children living in the United States in
2007 – accounting for 0.8% of the U.S. population – when Pew Research Center began
measuring this group’s size, demographic characteristics and views. Since then, growth has been
driven primarily by two factors: the continued flow of Muslim immigrants into the U.S., and
Muslims’ tendency to have more children than Americans of other faiths.

In 2015, the Center projected that Muslims could number 3.85 million in the U.S. by 2020 –
roughly 1.1% of the total population. However, Muslim population growth from immigration
may have slowed recently due to changes in federal immigration policy.

The number of Muslim houses of worship in the U.S. also has increased over the last 20
years. A study conducted in 2000 by the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership
identified 1,209 mosques in the U.S. that year. Their follow-up study in 2011 found that the
number of mosques had grown to 2,106, and the 2020 version found 2,769 mosques – more than
double the number from two decades earlier.

Alongside their population growth, Muslims have gained a larger presence in the public
sphere. For example, in 2007, the 110th Congress included the first Muslim member, Rep. Keith
Ellison, D-Minn. Later in that term, Congress seated a second Muslim representative, Rep.
Andre Carson, D-Ind. The current 117th Congress has two more Muslims alongside Carson, the
first Muslim women to hold such office: Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-
Mich., first elected in 2018.

As their numbers have increased, Muslims have also reported encountering more
discrimination. In 2017, during the first few months of the Trump administration, about half of
Muslim American adults (48%) said they had personally experienced some form of
discrimination because of their religion in the previous year. This included a range of
experiences, from people acting suspicious of them to being physically threatened or attacked. In
2011, by comparison, 43% of Muslim adults said they had at least one of these experiences, and
40% said this in 2007.

In a March 2021 survey, U.S. adults were asked how much discrimination they think a
number of religious groups face in society. Americans were more likely to say they believe
Muslims face “a lot” of discrimination than to say the same about the other religious groups
included in the survey, including Jews and evangelical Christians. A similar pattern appeared in
previous surveys going back to 2009, when Americans were more likely to say that there was a
lot of discrimination against Muslims than to say the same about Jews, evangelical Christians,
Mormons or atheists.

A series of Pew Research Center surveys conducted in 2014, 2017, and 2019 separately
asked Americans to rate religious groups on a scale ranging from 0 to 100, with 0 representing
the coldest, most negative possible view and 100 representing the warmest, most positive view.
In these surveys, Muslims were consistently ranked among the coolest, along with atheists.

Over the last 20 years, the American public has been divided on whether Islam is more
likely than other religions to encourage violence, and a notable partisan divide on this question
has emerged. When the Center first asked this question on a telephone survey in 2002,
Republicans and Republican-leaning independents were only moderately more likely than
Democrats and Democratic leaners to say that Islam encourages violence more than other
religions – and this was a minority viewpoint in both partisan groups. Within a few years,
however, Republicans began to grow more likely to believe that Islam encourages violence.
Democrats, in contrast, have become more likely to say Islam does not encourage violence. Now,
Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say they believe Islam encourages violence
more than other religions.

Though many Americans have negative views toward Muslims and Islam, 53% say they
don’t personally know anyone who is Muslim, and a similar share (52%) say they know “not
much” or “nothing at all” about Islam. Americans who are not Muslim and who personally know
someone who is Muslim are more likely to have a positive view of Muslims, and they are less
likely to believe that Islam encourages violence more than other religions
REFERENCE

Mohamed, B. (2021, September 1). Muslims are a Growing Presence In U.S., But Still Face
Negative Views From The Public. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2021/09/01/muslims-are-a-growing-presence-in-u-s-but-still-face-negative-views-
from-the-public/

A. The news article was published on September 1, 2021.

B. According to the article, Muslims still face a lot of discrimination in the United States.
Muslims report not feeling respected by those in the West. Significant percentages of
several Western countries share this sentiment, saying that the West does not respect
Muslim societies.
C. It is believed and proven by many surveys that this conflict between Muslims non-
Muslims is still not yet solved.
D. Following the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, Muslim Americans received
extraordinary media attention. In the two decades afterwards, the Muslim community in
the United States has expanded, but many Americans still know little about Islam or
Muslims, and attitudes against Muslims have become further politicized along political
lines
Religions are supposed to bring people together and promote peace, yet they often
do the opposite. There can't be a single cause of religious tensions in this case.
Nonetheless, if we look at what drives religious strife, we can see that it is ignorance.
Some people use the majority's ignorance to stir up religious feelings in order to achieve
their predetermined goals.

A better knowledge of religion can help to prevent religious violence. To teach people to
appreciate different religions, a worldwide effort should be undertaken. If our children are
taught that Christians are unbelievers, Muslims are terrorists, and Hindus are extremists, they
will grow up to be disbelievers, terrorists, and extremists. So, what are our options? We're
pouring hate into them, and they're going to respond with hate. The basic rule, tit-for-tat,
must be taught to children. When you act in a certain way toward others, they in turn will act
in a certain way toward you. If you desire respect, you must first show respect to others. If
you want someone to feel empathy for you, you have to exhibit it. You must not offend
people if you do not want to be insulted. Regardless of the differences, we must educate kids
to appreciate different religions.

Yes, globalization and religion can co-exist. It is because, for me, globalization means
joining together of economic prosperity for more people. Globalization has been driven in
big extent by religion. Buddhism spread throughout practically all of Asia. The expansion of
Islam coincided with the Arab merchants' commerce. Christianity's expansion was
inextricably linked to colonialism. During the last few decades, Saudi Arabia's strict brand of
Islam has spread to many regions of the world. Globalization fostered the spread of religion
by mobilizing resources. The growth of religion supplied the social capital that allowed trade
to become more international.