How We Conduct Research
Gallup's self-funded Poll of the Muslim World is conducted in 40 predominantly Muslim nations and among significant Muslim populations in the West. It is the first set of unified and scientifically representative views from 1.3 billion Muslims globally, and will provide the basis for the Center's unique analytical perspective.
The Poll of the Muslim World is part of Gallup's larger World Poll, a self-funded effort aimed at consistently measuring the well-being of 6 billion world citizens (a sample representing 95% of the Earth's population) on a wide range of topics for the next 100 years.
Chapter 1: Who Are Muslims?
Since the attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, Muslims are talked about as a security risk. Governments work to seal borders and restrict visas while public debate focuses on the latest rhetoric from the vocal extremists capturing the headlines. As a result, the voices of the people - the 1.3 billion ordinary Muslims around the world - have been lost.
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Chapter 2: Democracy or Theocracy?
Islam in politics has been asserted in many countries in the Muslim world through democratic elections. Islamist parties have gained varying degrees of political power in Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and the occupied Palestinian territories, and have widespread influence in Morocco and Jordan. Now, more than ever, Western governments, alarmed by this outcome, have raised the perennial question: Is Islam compatible with democracy?
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Chapter 3: What Makes a Radical?
Vocal extremists spreading religious rhetoric have led many in the West to believe that the Islamic faith itself is a root cause of terrorism. A Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted in March 2006, for example, found that a full third of Americans - 33% - believe mainstream Islam encourages violence against non-Muslims. If that were true, it would follow that widespread religiosity in predominantly Muslim countries implies widespread popular support for terrorist acts, leading to one apparent solution: Actively work to secularize Muslim societies.
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Chapter 4: What Do Women Want?
A 2005 Gallup Poll of U.S. households found that "gender inequality" was among the top responses American women gave to the open-ended question, "What do you admire least about the Muslim or Islamic world?" But how do the majority of women in several predominantly Muslim countries perceive Islam and their own status in Muslim society?
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Chapter 5: Clash or Coexistence?
Relations between Muslims and Americans have deteriorated since 2001, resulting in increasingly unfavorable opinion of the United States in many predominantly Muslim nations. Similarly, a recent Gallup Poll in the United States found that anti-Muslim sentiment is fairly common; 39% of Americans admit to feeling at least some prejudice toward Muslims. This growing polarization has led many in the West to believe that Muslims do not admire Western values or culture and have little interest in improving relations. At the same time, Muslims feel humiliated and assume the Western world is trying to impose its principles both on their faith and through government policies inside their own countries.
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