The Gallup Coexist Index 2009
A Global Study of Interfaith Relations
With an In-depth Analysis of Muslim Integration in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom
This is a report published by Gallup and The Coexist Foundation as part of the Muslim West Facts Project. Below is the executive summary from the report with a link to the report at the bottom of the page.
The Gallup Coexist Index 2009: A Global Study of Interfaith Relations is Gallup’s first report of public perceptions visà-vis people of different faiths. This analysis provides the reader with insight into the state of relations between people of different religions spanning four continents. The report also explores attitudes and perceptions among Muslims and the general public in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom about issues of coexistence, integration, values, identity, and radicalization.
Gallup Coexist Index
The Gallup Coexist Index is designed to measure global attitudes toward people from different faith traditions. The Index is based on respondents’ level of agreement with five statements on a scale of “1″ (strongly disagree)to “5″ (strongly agree) concerning attitudes toward, and interactions with, people of other religions. Depending on their answers, Gallup classifies populations as isolated, tolerant, or integrated.
The United States and Canada top the European countries surveyed in the proportion of their general public classified as integrated. Within Europe, 35% of Britons and 38% of Germans are classified as isolated, compared with 15% of Americans and 20% Canadians.
Across African countries surveyed, Niger, Chad, and Djibouti have the highest proportions of respondents who can be classified as isolated. The highest proportions of integrated respondents are found in Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Mauritania. Among Asian countries polled, Afghanistan and Israel had the highest percentages of isolated residents.
In France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Gallup Coexist Index data show some important trends. In each country, the general public is more likely than its respective Muslim population to be classified as isolated. Little variation is found in the percentage of tolerant individuals across the European general populations surveyed (45% among the British public and 49% each among the French and German publics). But among European Muslims surveyed, the tolerant group spans a wider range, from 31% in France to 43% in Germany and 60% in the United Kingdom.
A detailed analysis of the items that make up the Gallup Coexist Index in these three countries reveals important information to help inform the integration debate. For instance, Muslims, regardless of the country surveyed, share similar positive attitudes regarding interfaith living. French, German, and British Muslims are more likely than the general publics in their respective countries to agree that most faiths make a positive contribution to society. Many of the poll findings highlight areas in which European Muslims and non-Muslim Europeans can engage one another in building communities based on mutual understanding and respect.
Public Perceptions Toward Integration
The racial, religious, and cultural landscape of Europe has never been so diverse. Such diversity is largely attributable to the immigration of individuals mainly from North and West Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Turkey. The poll findings underscore not only the divides but also the common ground that exists between European Muslims and their non-Muslim fellow Europeans in regard to the complex aspects of the integration debate.
One of the key issues of the ongoing integration conversation concerns the compatibility of religion and national identity. While British, French, and German Muslims are more likely than the general populations in those three countries to identify strongly with their faith, they are also as likely (if not more likely) than the general public to identify strongly with their countries of residence. Additionally, majorities in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom either do not think Muslims in their respective countries are loyal to their countries of residence or they are unsure. However, strong majorities of European Muslims surveyed think Muslims are loyal to their respective countries of residence in Europe.
The poll findings also show that although European Muslims surveyed have a great sense of purpose, several barriers prevent them from realizing their full potential. Except for German Muslims, they are less likely than their respective general populations to say they have a job (either paid or unpaid). European Muslims surveyed are also less likely than the general populations surveyed to say they are satisfied with their standards of living.
Furthermore, some European Muslims rate their life satisfaction lower than those in the general population in their respective countries. Gallup asked European respondents to rate their current lives and their expectations of where they think they will stand in five years, using the Cantril ladder scale with steps numbered from 0 to 10. Step 0 represents the worst possible life and step 10 represents the best possible life. Gallup classifies respondents as “thriving” if they say they presently stand on step 7 or higher of the ladder and expect to stand on step 8 or higher in five years. “Suffering” respondents are those who say they presently stand on steps 0 to 4 of the ladder and expect to stand on steps 0 to 4 in five years. Respondents who fall neither in the “thriving” nor the “suffering” category are considered “struggling.” French Muslims are half as likely as the general public to be considered thriving, and in the United Kingdom, Muslims are eight times less likely than the British population as a whole to fall under the thriving category. Interestingly, German Muslims (46%) are more likely than the German public (36%) to be classified as thriving.
In the integration debate, observers often note that European Muslims and the general public have opposite moral compasses. Although the poll findings show that on many issues tested, European Muslims are more conservative in their moral views than the general public, the latter group expresses a wide range of opinions on the moral acceptability of issues from homosexuality to abortion to extramarital affairs.
Further, the poll findings show the vast majority of European Muslims surveyed reject violence. For instance, while 1% of the German public said that violence in which civilians are the target was completely justified, less than 1% of Berlin Muslims said the same. Gallup also found that religiosity (defined as religion being an important part of daily life) is not a reliable indicator of radicalism. Respondents who say religion is important to them are just as likely as those who say religion is not important to report that attacks on civilians cannot be morally justified.
More information on this report can be found here while you can read the full report by following this link The Gallup Coexist Index 2009
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