Muslim World: Unity and Diversity
Although there is broad agreement on the basic principles of Islam, Muslims around the
39 countries and territories studied, differ significantly in their opening
multiple interpretations of their faith and acceptance of various sects.
Washington DC, and published last month.
survey, which involved more than 38,000 interviews face-to-face in more than 80 languages, notes that, in addition to the widely held belief that there is one God and that Muhammad is His Prophet, large percentages of Muslims around the world share other
articles of faith, including belief in angels, heaven, hell and the fate or pre-destination. Although there is broad agreement on the basic principles of Islam, however, Muslims across 39 countries and territories examined differ significantly in their religious commitment levels, openness to multiple interpretations of their faith and acceptance of various sects and movements. Some of these differences are
apparent regionally. For example, Muslims at least eight intention in all countries surveyed in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and South Asia say religion is very important in their lives. Across the Middle East and North Africa, about six out of ten
or more say the same thing. No more than half of respondents in Russia, the Balkans and the former Soviet republics of Central Asia say
religion is very important in their lives. The only exception to this through broadband Eastern Europe, Southern Europe and
Central Asia is Turkey, which have never come under the Communist regime, two-thirds of Turkish Muslims (67 __gVirt_NP_NN_NNPS <__%) say religion is
very important to them. There are also differences in how Muslims, men and women practice their faith. In most of the 39 countries surveyed, men are more likely than women to participate in the mosque. This is especially true in Central Asia and South Asia, where
majority of women in most countries surveyed say they never go to the mosque. However, this disparity appears to result
cultural or local customs standards that force women to attend the mosque, rather than differences in the
importance that women and Muslim men put on religion.
diverging views orthodoxy The survey asked Muslims they believe there is only one true way to understand the teachings of Islam or if several interpretations are possible. In 2 of the 39 countries surveyed, half or more of Muslims say there is only one right way to understand the teachings of Islam. This view, however, is far from universal. In East and North Africa Middle
majorities or substantial minorities in most countries - including Tunisia, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Iraq - believe that it is possible to interpret the teachings of Islam in many ways. In sub-Saharan Africa, at least five onein- Muslims agree. In South Asia, Southeast Asia and southern and eastern Europe, believe at least one in six in each country studied Islam is the pen
to multiple interpretations. In some countries in Central Asia, just under Muslims say their faith may be subject to more than one interpretation. But in Kazakhstan (31%), Turkey (22%) and Kyrgyzstan (17%), the percentage holding this view is on par with countries in other regions. In the US, by contrast, 57% of Muslims say Islam is open to multiple interpretations.
Fundamental Beliefs The survey asked respondents in all 39 countries that they believe in the existence of angels. In Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East North Africa region, the belief in angels is almost universal. In Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa more than seven in ten also say the angels are real. The phrase "Inshallah" ( "God willing") is a common speech among Muslims face and reflects the Islamic tradition that the fate of individuals, and the world is in God's hands. And indeed, the survey found that the concept of predestination, or destiny, is widely accepted among Muslims in most regions. In four of the five regions where the question was asked, the median of about nine in ten (88% to 93%) say they believe in fate, while the median 57% expressed this view in the south and Eastern Europe. The survey also asked about the existence of heaven and hell. In the six regions included in the study, an average of more than seven in ten Muslims say that paradise awaits those who have lived a righteous life, while the median of at least two-thirds say the hell is the ultimate fate those who do not live righteously and do not repent. South and Central Asia and Eastern Europe have relatively low levels of religious commitment, both in terms of lesser importance that Muslims in these regions give religion and in terms of self-reported religious practices. With the exception of Turkey, where two-thirds of Muslims say religion is very important in their lives, half or less in both regions say religion is very important for them personally. This includes Kazakhstan and Albania, where only 18% and 15%, respectively, say religion is central to their lives. generational differences in the religious commitment of all the countries surveyed, only in Russia are Muslims ages 18-34 place much more importance to religion than Muslims 35 and older (48% against 41%). Young Muslims in Russia also tend to pray more often (48% do so once a day or more, compared with 41% of older Muslims). Elsewhere in southern and eastern Europe and central Asia, the older generation of Muslims generally places more emphasis on religion and engages more often in prayer. For example, Muslims, 35 and over are more likely than young Muslims to pray several times a day in Uzbekistan (+18 percentage points), Tajikistan (16) and Kyrgyzstan (+8). The Pew Forum Muslim world includes all nations with a population of over 10 million Muslims, except Algeria, China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Together, the 39 countries and territories included in the survey are home to about two-thirds of all Muslims in the world
category :. Islam in the West, Muslim World News
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