Muslim Youth More Religious Than Their Parents

April 9, 2004

Source: Muslims Weekly

http://www.indypressny.org/article.php3?ArticleID=1385

On April 9, 2004 Muslims Weekly reported, "A recent study on the impact of September 11 terror attacks revealed that even though the community has been under an uncomfortable spotlight since those events, its members are becoming more religious and politically active. Furthermore, the study found that young Muslims tend to believe America is an immoral society and that the younger generation appears to be more conservative than their parents. The study, the first one on Muslims in the Detroit area, was conducted by Michigan's Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU)– a research organization that studies Islamic issues. According to it, the community has been "much maligned and little understood." For the study, 1,298 Detroit-area Muslims completed questionnaires at 33 mosques and at social events. Sixty-four percent of the respondents were male and 36 percent female. Researchers also drew some conclusions from interviews with mosque leaders. The Muslim community, which is close to 8 million nationally, is becoming more politically organized as it seeks greater influence on American politics. Ninety-three percent of those surveyed said they believed Muslims should be involved in politics. The survey reveals that the majority of Muslims hold moderate views. Most register to vote and 85 percent disapprove of President George W. Bush's performance in office."