AUSTRALIA DELIBERATES
MUSLIMS AND NON-MUSLIMS IN AUSTRALIA
PRELIMINARY RESULTS
Sunday, March 4, 2007
AUSTRALIANS DELIBERATE AND FIND THEY FEAR MUSLIMS LESS
Australians feel less threatened by Muslims living in Australia after the opportunity to talk and think about the issues that concern them like terrorism, national security and any threat to the Australian way of life.
That is the outcome of a National Deliberative Poll by Issues Deliberation Australia / America (IDA) in Canberra.
329 randomly selected Australians assembled at Old Parliament House to talk about the Muslim Non Muslim relationship and then had their opinions surveyed.
Australia Deliberates: Muslims and Non-Muslims in Australia is the first attempt to survey in this depth Australia’s attitudes to Muslims and their culture and values, and if or how their presence effects Australia’s way of life and the nation’s security.
CAUSES OF TERRORISM
Before the deliberations, an initial survey by IDA and Newspoll, showed nearly half of Australia 49% thought that incompatibility between Muslim and Western values was a big contributor to terrorism.
After an intense weekend of focus group discussions, information from a vast array of points of view and persuasions, and the opportunity to ask questions of competing experts, the Australians surveyed shifted their opinions dramatically.
On the question of terrorism, the number who thought an incompatibility between values was a big contributor dropped from 49% to 22%.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Before the Deliberative Poll, close to half of Australia 44% thought that Muslims coming to Australia had a bad impact on national security.
After deliberating, that figure nearly halved to 23%.
THREAT TO THE AUSTRALIAN WAY OF LIFE
Before deliberating, over a third 35% thought Muslims were a threat to the Australian way of life.
After deliberating that figure fell to 21%.
IDA’S Managing Director Dr Pam Ryan says the results are a compelling insight into one of the most defining issues of our times.
“We brought together a random sample of Australians from all walks of life. From the initial survey of the Australian population we knew what their attitudes were to Muslims before they came to Canberra."
“Over three days, they have engaged in intense discussions on all different aspects of the issue interspersed with conversations with experts."
“They have been exposed to extreme, progressive and conservative points of views and competing arguments from both Muslim and Non Muslim perspectives."
“They have heard from religious leaders like Catholic Archbishop Cardinal Pell, controversial Muslim Leader Sheikh Mohammed Omran, academics, psychologists, terrorism experts, survivors of terrorism and the media."
“They have had the chance to deliberate with their peers."
“Now we can measure the impact on opinions of information and deliberation on key aspects of this burning issue for Australia and the rest of the world."
