Young U.S. Muslims back suicide attacks

The first nationwide survey of Muslim Americans revealed that more than a quarter of those younger than 30 say suicide bombings to defend Islam are justified, a fact that drowned out the poll’s kinder, gentler findings suggesting that the community is mainstream and middle class. “There are trouble spots,” noted Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center, which conducted the survey of 1,050 adult Muslim Americans — two-thirds of whom were foreign-born — January to April. The results were released yesterday.

Well, that’s bad enough, but the Chief is just as concerned about this:

“We should be disturbed that 26 percent of these young people support an ideology in which the ends justify the means,” said Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, chairman of the Arizona-based American Islamic Forum for Democracy. “But the survey also found that only 40 percent of the overall American Muslim population would even admit that Arabs were behind 9/11. They’re in denial, refusing to take moral responsibility, and the radicals will feed on this,” Dr. Jasser said.

It’s good that Dr. Jasser has his head screwed on right, but 40% that can’t accept that Arabs did the 9-11 attack? What planet are they on?

OK. So what else is new here? Not much. Predictably MOST Islamic Americans are not radicals, but there is a sizeable minority that at least leans that way. A bit of the Gipper’s advice is is order here: “Trust but Verify”.