A new poll from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life indicates that the number of Americans who erroneously believe President Obama is a Muslim is growing.
The poll revealed 18%, or nearly one in five people wrongly believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim, according to a poll released on Thursday. The number is up from the 11% who thought Obama was a Muslim in March 2009. The percentage who believes the president is Christian is down to 34%.
Even among the president’s allies, the numbers are changing. In March 2009, 55% of Democrats thought the president was a Christian. The poll showed that number declined to 46%. African-Americans have also shown a similar shift. In March 2009, 36% of African-Americans said they didn’t know the president’s religion; that number is now 46%. Self-described liberal Democrats who don’t know what religion the president is moved from 23% to 31%.
The poll was taken before the Iftar dinner last Friday at the White House celebrating the beginning of the Muslim religious season of Ramadon during which Obama made his initial remarks about the building of the Mosque in New York.
Unlike former presidents, Obama distanced himself from the National Day of Prayer activities held May 6th at which time Christians and leaders from all over the nation came together to pray for the country. While he did issue a proclamation he broke with tradition by not holding a White House ceremony on the occasion.
Alan Cooperman, associate director of research for the Pew Forum, says, “I think overall the picture that we see is of uncertainty and confusion about the president and religion.”
