Christopher Ingraham comments on the rising anti-Islamic sentiment among Americans, including the announcement by over 27 governors that they’re opposed to letting Syrian refugees seek asylum in their states.
“The political calculus behind these gestures becomes apparent when you look at new polling data released today by the Public Religion Research Institute, which finds that a majority of Americans — 56 percent — say that the values of Islam are “at odds” with America’s values and way of life. This is up significantly from 2011, when only 47 percent of Americans said this.”
“Beyond that top-line expression of unease with Islamic values, previous polling by PRRI has shown that American discomfort with Islam extends to a variety of realms of life. In 2011, for instance, 3 in 10 Americans said American Muslims want to establish Sharia law, 4 in 10 were uncomfortable with Muslim elementary school teachers, and nearly half said they’d be uncomfortable if a mosque were built near their home … So for Republican politicians, there appears to be little political downside to taking a stand against Muslim immigration.”