A new nation-wide poll showed that a major section of American society believes fellow Muslim citizens pose a national threat and supports curbing Muslims’ civil rights and monitoring their places of worship.
The survey, conducted by the Cornell University and posted on its Web site, found that at least 44 percent of the respondents believed that American Muslims “are a threat and their civil liberties should be curtailed” by the authorities.
The poll, based on telephone interviews with 715 people across the US, revealed that 27 percent of respondents wanted Muslim citizens to register their location with the federal government.
It further indicated that 26 percent believed mosques should be “closely monitored” by federal law enforcement agencies.
“Twenty-nine percent agreed that undercover law enforcement agents should infiltrate Muslim civic and volunteer organizations, in order to keep tabs on their activities and fund raising,” according to the survey.
It said that about 22 percent of the respondents believed the federal authorities should profile citizens as potential threats “based on the fact that they are Muslim or have Middle Eastern heritage.”