Poll shows people doubt Obama can influence Americans' views of MuslimsBy Janna Charles and Katherine Nguyen Will President Obama lead Americans to a greater understanding of Islam and Muslim people?Almost half of the respondents to this question in our recent Quick Poll (48 percent) did not think Obama would be able to improve Americans' understanding of Islam or Muslim people. However, another 44 percent indicated the contrary - that the president either definitely or maybe could influence Americans' understanding. Only 9 percent reported they didn't know. Although Quick Polls are just that, quick opinions, let's dig a little deeper into how we might understand these opinions, as well as some of the President's recent speeches. One reason for our Poll's results might be that Americans don't see their president as responsible for developing understanding, in other words teaching as well as leading. We purposefully used the word, "lead," in our poll question. Respondents may have interpreted lead to mean "to take charge," or "to guide someone/something along a way." In this case, President Obama has not provided awareness training for the American public. However, if we define the word lead as, "to serve as a channel for," President Obama could very well be serving as a channel for opening discussion about the Muslim community without any connection to terrorism. His approach may be subtle, but the President's word choice and delivery moves away from many of the negative connotations historically tied to Islam and the Muslim population, especially since 9/11. In Turkey recently, President Obama delivered statements to the country's parliament that addressed this shift in perceptions. "The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam... "Let me say this as clearly as I can," said the President, "The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam. America's relationships with the Muslim community will not just be based on opposition to terrorism." During Obama's recent speech in Cairo, he talked about his respect for Islamic culture and called for the formation of a new partnership with Muslim nations in areas of common interest. This includes curbing violent extremists before they destabilize both Muslim nations and threaten the west. He claimed that he wanted to use the occasion "to deliver a broader message about how the United States can change for the better in its relationship with the Muslim world today." We believe statements like these suggest that Obama is trying to lead the American public beyond the narrow view of Islam and the Muslim community that has persisted over the last decade. The President's language and tone suggests a desire to improve relations between the United States and the Muslim community and move away from the broader references to Islam and the 'war on terror' that were characteristic of the Bush Administration. In general, we see Obama's speeches are geared towards a more multi-dimensional way of conceptualizing current issues. In Cairo for instance, he mentioned "a time of tension between the United States and the Muslim World — tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate." This statement, as well as others, captures his tendency to expand beyond politics into a larger discussion of how social and historical contexts affect the way cultures and nations perceive and interact with one another. Another interesting aspect of Obama's Cairo speech is that he mentions "civilization's debt to Islam," which he follows by listing some of the contributions of Muslim communities to humanity. Instead of merely saying, "Muslims are not our enemy," he explains that, "It was the innovation of Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra," and that Islam "has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality." In this way, he is able to expose the Muslim community for its cherished qualities instead of honing in on a few bad apples, which may work against the biases and stereotypes fueled by past dialogue. In addition to these more direct statements, Obama's word choice seems subtly instructive to the American people, which is enhanced by the inclusive reference to "we." "the language we use matters..." In one instance he noted that "the language we use matters. What we need to understand is that there are extremist organizations - whether Muslim or any other faith in the past - that will use faith as a justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name." In this instance, we believe the President's language is encouraging Americans to re-evaluate their own perceptions about Muslims, a very diverse group of people. Respondents may have also read the Quick Poll question as addressing the potential impact of Obama's Muslim background on current American viewpoints. Earlier in his life, Obama lived in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country. Additionally, his father came from a Kenyan family that included generations of Muslims, though the president himself is a Christian. Many may not see these somewhat distant ties as a relevant segue into greater understanding of Islam and Muslim people, which might explain the high percentage of "Nos" to our question. While it is difficult to judge whether or not Americans' knowledge of the President's diverse background will have an affect, Obama nevertheless points out that his upbringing has "give[n] me insight into how these folks think and is part of how I think we can create a better relationship with the Middle East." By speaking about his own awareness and experiences, perhaps the president can encourage broader thinking. One thing for sure, President Obama brings diversity in his background and experiences to his office, and many people who support the goals of diversity and inclusion these days believe that this is valuable because it allows for broader insights and a deeper understanding of whatever matter is at hand. Finally, we would argue that public leaders do have the responsibility to teach and lead their constituencies to higher levels of understanding of different cultures and people (see Thomas and Hayles), especially as the world becomes more global and interconnected. Editor's note: We recognize that our question did not acknowledge that some Muslims are also Americans. Sources:
Editor's note: Every other month, DiversityCentral.com posts a new Quick Poll to gather data about people's opinions on diversity and cultural issues. Starting this month, we're providing this special feature on our Quick Poll Data. You'll find the previous month's data as well as the data from the two preceding months. Data prior to the last three months is archived in Cultural Diversity at Work Archive. Read more:
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