We implemented a unique public opinion survey of Muslim Americans in 22 locales across the country in an effort to better understand the political implications of religious and ethnic shared community in the U.S. and also provide comparative data for Muslim Americans on many traditional measures of political behavior and participation that are currently lacking. The sample represents an incredibly diverse cross-section of American cities and the Muslim population, including interview sites in the East, West, and Midwest, as well as the major Muslim population centers in the U.S. Our sample includes large numbers of Arab, Asian, and (U.S. born) African American Muslim respondents, making it quite representative of the overall U.S. Muslim population.
In total, respondents were interviewed at 22 different locations in the eleven cities, and we gathered a large number of interviews outside the prayer services during Eid al Adha and Eid al Fitr . In total, 1,410 surveys were completed across the eleven locations, and the demographics of our sample closely match those reported in a recent Pew survey of Muslim Americans.
All surveys were administered in-person by respondents, and were self-administered in an “exit-poll style.” Respondents were randomly selected, as they left Eid prayers or religious services, and were solicited to participate by Muslim American research assistants (usually recruited by campus MSA). The survey questionnaire was two-pages front/back and available in English, Arabic, and Farsi.