Poll: Almost 20 percent think Obama is Muslim

Almost 20 percent of the public thinks President Obama is a Muslim, up 7 percentage points, in a poll released Monday.

A Pew Research Center survey showed that 18 percent of the public incorrectly believes that the president adheres to Islam, compared to the 11 percent to who believed so in March 2009. At the same time, the percentage of people who believe Obama is a Christian fell more precipitously. 

In 2009, 48 percent said they believe he is a Christian, a number that fell to 34 percent in 2010.

Pew completed the survey in early August, before Obama backed the rights of a Muslim group to build an Islamic center, which includes a mosque, two blocks from the site of the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City. The growing perception of Obama as a Muslim, however, could have an effect on the debate. 

Pew writes that "beliefs about Obama's religion are closely linked to political judgments about him." Respondents who believe Obama is a Muslim strongly disapprove of his job performance while a majority of those who believe he is a Christian approve.

Obama's growing disapproval rating is also correlated to the results. Forty-one percent disapprove of his job performance compared to 26 percent who said so in the 2009 survey. 

The number of Republicans who said Obama is a Muslim jumped 14 percentage points to 31 percent in the 2010 poll. Eighteen percent of independents also said Obama is a Muslim, up from 10 percent in 2009.

The results also suggest that the notion of Obama as a Muslim has spread throughout media outlets.

When asked in an open-ended question how they learned about Obama’s religion, 60 percent of those who believe Obama is a Muslim name the media. Television is mentioned most frequently, at 16 percent.

Eleven percent of people who believe Obama is a Muslim say Obama's words and behavior influenced their belief.

The poll was conducted between July 21 and Aug. 5 of 3,003 respondents.

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