Poll finds some U.S. Muslim support for suicide attacks

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About one-quarter of young American Muslims believe to some extent that suicide bombings can be justified to defend Islam, while nearly 80 percent of all U.S. Muslims reject such attacks, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The nationwide poll of 1,050 Muslim adults by the Pew Research Center said the U.S. Muslim community is largely moderate, assimilated and happy.

But the community also contains pockets of support for Islamist militancy among Muslims aged 18-30 and black Muslims, the survey showed.

The survey, billed as one of the most far-reaching polls of Muslims living in the United States, asked the following question about suicide attacks:

"Some people think that suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets are justified in order to defend Islam from its enemies. Other people believe that, no matter what the reason, this kind of violence is never justified.

"Do you personally feel that this kind of violence is often justified to defend Islam, sometimes justified, rarely justified or never justified?"

The survey found 26 percent of younger Muslims believed suicide bombings are often, sometimes or rarely justified, compared with 69 percent who believed such attacks can never be accepted.

By contrast, 13 percent of all U.S. Muslims felt suicide attacks could be justified often, sometimes or rarely, while 78 percent completely rejected the deadly tactic that has been used by al Qaeda and other Islamist militants.