7 Myths About Muslim Americans

A new study from the Pew Research Center shows more Americans (82 percent) believe Muslims encounter discrimination than any other minority group polled. The finding corresponds with data evidencing increased Islamophobia in schools, at work and in the public square. Significantly, myths and misconceptions often inform such bigotry and discrimination. Research shows that Americans often associate Muslims with violence and fanaticism. This perception problem is purposefully perpetuated by a cadre of anti-Muslim extremists engaged in a multi-million dollar industry fomenting fear, as documented by the Center for American Progress and the Council on American Islamic Relations. Depictions of Muslims, almost exclusively, as the violent terrorist other in some news media outlets and pop culture (think American Sniper) also reinforce such negative associations similar to vitriolic anti-Muslim political rhetoric during election cycles and foreign military interventions abroad. Indeed, as 2016 draws to a close, myths about Muslims persist, percolating in conspiratorial email chains, hyper-partisan news media discussions and perhaps most critically, among policymakers. Here, we identify and debunk seven myths.

Muslims are attempting to subvert the U.S. Constitution and impose Sharia law.

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According to research, most Muslim Americans view Sharia as “a private system of morality and identity, primarily focused on marriage and divorce rituals.” They generally do not expect U.S. courts to implement Sharia in legal proceedings.

Public suspicions surrounding Sharia reveal misunderstanding and perhaps mistrust about religious beliefs and practices. Significantly, research from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) shows that Muslim faith observances are comparable to their Christian counterparts.

For example, 42 percent of Muslim Americans and 45 percent of Protestants attend religious services on a weekly basis. Further, Muslims (89 percent) are just as likely as Jews (84 percent), Catholics (95 percent) and Protestants (95 percent) to identify strongly with their faith.

Muslims are responsible for most acts of terrorism in the U.S.

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According to FBI statistics, from 1980 to 2005, Muslims were responsible for only 6 percent of attacks in the U.S. More recently, a study from Duke shows that approximately 344 Muslim Americans have been involved in violent extremism since 9/11. For the sake of perspective, there are approximately 3 to 7 million Muslims in the U.S. In other words, 99 percent of Muslims Americans have had no involvement with such heinous activities in the past 15-years-old.

In fact, in a survey by the University of Maryland, state and local law enforcement officers rated domestic militia groups as posing the greatest threat to domestic security. Similarly, Duke found that law enforcement agencies considered anti-government violent extremists as the most severe threat of political violence; environmental extremism was described as a priority by a third of the agencies.

Officials indicated the same threat assessment even after ISIS recently increased their recruitment efforts. Right wing extremist groups are their top-rated threat.

Muslims aren’t doing enough to counter violent extremism.

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According to Pew, Muslims generally believe that suicide bombings and other criminal violence against civilians are rarely or never justified. Similarly, Gallup found that Muslim Americans are more likely than any other religious community to reject violence against civilians.

Research funded by the U.S. Department of Justice found that such viewpoints manifest in concrete actions: Muslim Americans are actively engaged in anti-radicalization efforts within their religious communities and mosques. These include public and private condemnations of extremist violence; self-policing; community-building and political engagement. In fact, Muslim Americans represent one of the largest sources of tips to law enforcement agencies about potential terrorist plots.