Majority of Americans think Islam promotes violence more than other religions

For the first time, a majority of Americans say they think Islam is more likely than any other religion to promote violence in its followers, according to a new Pew poll. In the survey, exactly 50 percent of respondents expressed that view, while 39 percent said Islam was not more prone to promote violence than other religions.

That's a striking uptick from February, when only 38 percent said Islam was more likely to encourage violence. And it's twice the percentage who said the same in March of 2002.

There is also a sharp partisan divide on the issue, with two-thirds of Republicans saying Islam is more violent than other religions, versus only 42 percent of Democrats who say the same.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Latest Videos From

Watch full video here:

The rise of the Sunni militant group ISIS is likely behind the spike.