Muslims are perceived by
Americans as one of the most discriminated-against groups in the United
States, with only homosexuals facing more discrimination than they do,
a poll showed Thursday.
Nearly six in 10 Americans
told pollsters from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life that they
thought Muslims were far more likely to face discrimination than
members of other major religions.
An equal percentage said
there was not a lot of discrimination against Jews, atheists, Mormons
and evangelical Christians in the United States.
Indeed, the only group that Americans perceive as facing more discrimination than Muslims is homosexuals.
University graduates were
more than twice as likely to know a Muslim — 66 percent said they did
— than those who have not attended college (29 percent). Younger
Americans were also more likely to count Muslims among their
acquaintances than Americans over the age of 65. Around half of
Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 said they knew a Muslim, while
among American seniors, the ratio fell to just three in 10.
