Anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim attitudes are on the rise in several European countries, according to a new international survey. Anti-Jewish feelings were particularly strong in Spain, Poland and Russia and have increased significantly since 2006, according to the Pew Research Center's new opinion survey. Anti-Muslim views were also strong in those three countries, as well as in Germany and France. "There is a clear relationship between anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim attitudes," the report says. "Publics that view Jews unfavorably also tend to see Muslims in a negative light."
Negative views of Muslims were also strong in several Asian countries: Half or more of the Japanese, Indians, Chinese and South Koreans surveyed said they had negative impressions of Muslims. Negative feelings about Jews were somewhat less strong, from 32 per cent in India to 55 per cent in China, with Japan and South Korea falling in between.
The survey also underscored rising concerns in several predominantly Muslim countries, including Indonesia, about a struggle for dominance between Islamic fundamentalists and those favoring modernization. In Europe, negative views of Jews and Muslims were strongest among older people, the less educated and those of the political right. In some countries, including Germany, negative feelings toward Jews had risen along with favorable feelings - with fewer people saying they were undecided. Moreover, positive views toward Jews outweighed negative ones in every European country surveyed except Spain. 46 per cent of Spaniards held negative opinions of Jews, as did 36 per cent of Poles and 34 per cent of Russians. The three countries were on average 6 points more negative than in 2006.
In contrast to the other countries, 77 per cent of Americans held favorable views toward Jews, compared with 7 percent unfavorable. Britain stood out among Europeans, with 73 per cent favorable toward Jews and 9 per cent unfavorable. Views of Muslims tended to be more negative than those of Jews. Half of the Spanish and Germans surveyed had unfavorable opinions of Muslims, as did nearly half the Poles and 32 per cent of Russians. One in four British and American respondents had negative views of Muslims.
The survey was conducted in March and April 2008 in 24 countries, with average samples of about 1,000 respondents in each. The US-based Pew Research Center is a non-partisan institution that provides information by conducting public opinion polling and social science research, by reporting news and analyzing news coverage, and by holding forums and briefings.
Click here to read more about the survey.
