‘The Gallup Coexist Index 2009: A Global Study on Interfaith Relations’

To measure the state of the relationship among faith groups within nations, The Gallup Organization has designed an index that gauges the segment of the public that both contributes to and stands in the way of better faith relations. Because the discussion about the relationship among faith groups is lively in Europe, especially with respect to religious and ethnic minorities, Gallup conducted deeper studies in three European nations — the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. This report also presents the latest findings about attitudes of European Muslims and their counterparts in the general population. This research aims to help inform the conversation on issues such as integration, identity, values, and radicalisation. “Due to the specific comfort level that people have with this issue, inter-religious relations have been underrated for too long”, says Diversity Expert Michael Stuber. “This wealth of information will stimulate change and pinpoint that religious diversity can no longer be restricted to all-faith rooms and canteen menus.”
The United States and Canada top the European countries surveyed in the proportion of their general public classified as integrated. Within Europe, 35% of Britons and 38% of Germans are classified as isolated, compared with 15% of Americans and 20% Canadians. Among European Muslims surveyed, the tolerant group spans from 31% in France to 43% in Germany and 60% in the United Kingdom.
The Gallup Center for Muslim Studies draws its analysis from data collected through the Gallup World Poll, an ongoing research project that surveys residents in more than 140 countries and areas and represents the views of 95% of the world’s population. This is the first set of unified and scientifically representative views from 1.3 billion Muslims globally. For a full copy of the report, contact office@european-diversity.com.