Ever since 9/11, Americans have been highly suspicious of Muslims. While there a certain amount of healthy skepticism of a religion that many believe to be at the root of much of the unrest in today's world may be warranted, a new survey from Gallup sheds some light on what Muslims really think. The truth is, the vast majority of them have positive feelings about America.
Among the study's findings:
About 93 percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are moderates and only seven percent are politically radical;
Only seven percent of the billion Muslims surveyed -- the radicals -- condoned the attacks on the United States in 2001;
In only a few countries did a majority say that Sharia should have no role in society; yet in most countries, only a minority want Sharia as "the only source" of law. In Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, majorities want Sharia as the "only source" of legislation;
Forty-six percent of Americans say that the Bible should be "a" source, and 9% believe it should be the "only" source of legislation;
Perhaps even more surprising, 42% of Americans want religious leaders to have a direct role in writing a constitution, while 55% want them to play no role at all. These numbers are almost identical to those in Iran;
Perhaps most important is the fact that radical Muslims gave political, not religious, reasons for condoning the attacks of 9/11. This is an indicator that it is our actions and our government's policies, not our culture that offends radical Muslims. Perhaps our leaders should take a close look at this survey?