Poll: Muslims condemn attacking civilians

Muslim Americans are the strongest opponents of attacking civilians, by either the military or small armed groups, Gallup polls released Tuesday show. The findings come from a report by the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center, "Muslim Americans: Faith, Freedom, and the Future," based on 2010 Gallup surveys. Asked if it is ever justified "for the military to target and kill civilians," 78 percent of Muslims and 56 percent with no religion said no. But majorities of Christians and Jews said it was sometimes justified. Large majorities in all religious groups said attacks on civilians by "an individual person or a small group of persons" was never justified, but Muslims registered the highest disapproval at 89 percent. Asked if U.S. Muslims sympathize with al-Qaida, 92 percent of Muslims, 75 percent of the irreligious, 70 percent of Jews, 63 percent of Catholics, 57 percent of Mormons and 56 percent of Protestants said they do not. The two polls, taken in February to March and October of last year, yielded a total sample of 2,482 adults, of whom 475 identified themselves as Muslims. The margins of error for various groups ranged from 4.7 to 8.3 percentage points.