The study was about terrorism fears. Almost half of respondents said they believe the U.S. government should — in some way — curtail civil liberties for Muslim Americans. These included registration for Muslims, monitoring of mosques by U.S. law enforcement, undercover infiltration of Muslim organizations and profiling those with Middle Eastern heritage.
In all, about 44 percent said they believe that some curtailment of civil liberties is necessary for Muslim Americans. Conversely, 48 percent of respondents said they do not believe that civil liberties for Muslim Americans should be restricted.
The survey also examined Christian religiosity in perceptions of Islam and Islamic countries. Sixty-five percent of self-described highly religious people said they view Islam as encouraging violence more than other religions do; while less (42 percent) of the respondents who were not highly religious saw Islam as encouraging violence.
In addition, highly religious respondents were more likely to describe Islamic countries as violent (64 percent), fanatical (61 percent) and dangerous (64 percent). Fewer of the respondents who said they were not highly religious described Islamic countries as violent (49 percent), fanatical (46 percent) and dangerous (44 percent). But 80 percent of all respondents said they see Islamic countries as being oppressive toward women.
“Our results highlight the need for continued dialogue about issues of civil liberties in time of war,” says James Shanahan, Cornell associate professor of communication and a principal investigator in the study.
Politically, researchers found that opinions on restricting civil liberties for Muslim Americans vary by political self-identification. Republicans were more supportive of restrictions than Democrats or Independents.
The survey also showed a correlation between television news-viewing habits, and respondent’s fear level and attitudes. The more attention paid to television news, the more you fear terrorism, and you are more likely to favor restrictions on civil liberties.
This is ominous. The general population is being cultivated to fear those demonized and labeled extremist. In the last days, God’s Sabbath-keeping people will have their rights and constitutional protections removed. The enemy is testing it out with Muslims. In the future, expect that the United States will repudiate its constitutional provisions especially for those who do not comply with coming religious laws. See Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 451.
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