A majority of people in the United States believe Islam and Shariah law discriminate against women.
When asked if they think “Islam and Sharia law are inherently gender-biased against women,” most said they agree, according to a poll released by O’Leary Report. Fifty-nine percent said they “strongly agree” with that statement, while 16 percent said they “somewhat disagree.” Only 5 percent said they “strongly disagree.”
The next question explored a hypothetical situation in which police are called to respond to a domestic abuse incident involving a married Muslim couple, where the husband has beaten his wife. Under Shariah law, it points out, husbands are allowed to forcibly discipline their wives.
Three quarters of those asked said the man should be arrested for assault, and 9 percent said they should arrest both the husband and wife for disorderly conduct. Just 5 percent said to respect the husband’s right under Shariah law.
Shariah law, survey-takers were told, also forbids a woman to accuse a man of rape if there aren’t multiple witnesses. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they at least somewhat disagree that the U.S. judicial system should ignore a case where a man has raped a women if there is only one witness. Nine percent strongly agreed, and 5 percent somewhat agreed.
The last question asked whether American foreign policy should attempt to “liberate women in Muslim countries from Sharia law.”
To that, 45 percent answered in the affirmative, while 23 percent said Shariah law should be respected in those countries. Thirty-two percent were unsure.
The poll was conducted by Zogby International between Nov. 5-7, with 1,002 respondents. It has a margin of error of 3.2 percent.
