Yougov survey of Muslims attitudes to recent terror events

[handlemecarefully]

There's an interesting survey on YouGov. Can't do a link to the specific page but can do a link to the site, from there under the sub heading 'Poll Reports', select:

Yougovresults
then Political reports
then the 25/7/05 report Muslims

It's very interesting stuff (and rather troubling for a number of reasons, e.g. asian community feeling very much under seige, not perceiving equality of treatment etc, not believing that British politicians truly respect Islam....but also I was rather taken aback by one third of respondents attitudes to the question "Which of these views comes closest to your own - Western society is decadent and immoral, and Muslims should seek to bring it to an end...")

yougov site

What should we make of it all? Is there anything we can do as tiny insignificant individuals to influence anything (she asks earnestly)

Before you correct me, that should be muslim community not asian community. I appreciate that they are not synonymous!

hmc, I read about this poll in the Observer on the weekend.

The thing is, I'm rather skeptical about YouGov - it looks like they pay people to answer surveys, and of course they're stuck with only online people for their surveys, which is hardly a reliable result.

What's to stop me from registering 10 times, so I can make 10 times as much money? And I suspect people are more likely to answer randomly, to get the survey done, than answer carefully, if it's just an online survey for cash.

Oh is it an online survey rather than face to face? If so I agree that it rather compromises it.

I was motivated to look up the survey because like everyone else I would like to make sense of the recent terror events, and I believe that gaining more of an insight into how the muslim community ticks / thinks might help me to comprehend why a tiny minority of predominantly young men develop a warped ideology....

OK first thing I would say is that there were 526 muslims (out of 1.8 million) polled.

And the one you quoted

"Western society is decadent and immoral, and Muslims should seek to bring it to an end.."

Had TWO endings

1. "if nessecary by violence" (1% agreed)

2. "but only by NON-VIOLENT means" (31% agreed)

I (as a Christian) understand those that have answered the 2nd one (31%) as being like those of us Christians who also believe that one the whole we're now living in a very immoral society and believe we should bring it to an end by promoting Christianity........

53% if the repsondents said they would SUPPORT a new law which made it easier to deport any Imam who were trying to radicalise young muslims.

And 70% of respondents also said that they believe d if people saw something in the community which makes them feel suspicious that they should go to the police.

They only do online, I think.

And you can sign up online. You do have to provide a physical address, but it doesn't imply that you have to be there to receive some sort of confirmation letter (which would be a more valid confirmation).

This isn't to say that phone or in-person surveys aren't ever faked this way, particularly if the interviewers are working to a quota or are being paid per successful interviewee, but online surveys that pay look even less reliable to me.

Oh, QoQ, even better digging. The site annoyed me too much, I didn't get down to the actual details.

NCQ - YouGov is one of the hightly respected online polling websites. And certianly during the election the BBC was using them (along side MORI et all) to show the trends in how people feel. And they were showing almost identical 'results' as to those of MORI etc etc.

They're also VERY long surveys, and as someone who does them much longer than most other 'pay to answer' surveys - thus making people much less likely to bother with them for 'quick cash'.

And it's certainly not quick cash anyhow, I get (on average) about 1 survey every 2 weeks. I get paid 50p for each one I do.........and I only get a cheque in the post when I've reached £50!

QoQ,

I wasn't suggesting that it was one sided. I also noted that only 6% of respondents felt that 7/7 was justified for instance.

It was concerning that there appears to be some degree of alienation felt by a sizeable minority of respondents

"How do you think most Muslims living in Britain feel towards Britain?"

10% not very loyal
8% not at all loyal
6% Don't know

albeit 76% either fairly or very loyal

Just wish that there wasn't this feeling of disaffection and marginalisation. Can understand how it might have arisen.

QoQ - thanks for you response re how Christians think - that helped me put that in perspective.

HMC - sorry

NCQ - here's a link to the BBC election polls polls

You'll see that the results were very similar to other 'offline' polls.

Oh and FWIW - I've done surveys over the phone, at the door and via post where I've entered any old answer just to get it done.........

Anyway, hope this thread doesn't deteoriate as others have. It's going well so far.

I'm just trying to make sense of everything - hence posting re this subject

I used to work doing interviews, a long time ago, so I've never given "any old answer". I'm always a sucker for these things ... as long as they're not actually selling something.

I think surveys by post are a bit more reliable as it's harder for one person to answer 20 of them. But it's just as easy to answer any old thing if it's post, as online.

I think it would be harder to answer any old thing if you're talking to a person.

Certainly some very interesting 'figures' if you plough through the whole thing.

These surveys are so unscientific, in the way they pose questions.

I am a white atheist - and I think western society is decadent and immmoral, and should be IMPROVED.

But NCQ - YouGov pay out by cheque - so unless you've got 20 odd friends who are prepared to accept cheques for you - then the chances of someone actually bothering is very slim. Especially as it probably takes (on average) about 1 1/2yrs to get to the £50 payout marker!

I agree with all of QoQ's points - I didn't think there was anything particularly shocking in the survey when you read the actual questions they were asked. YouGov is very well respected, I'm a member too - have been for about 2 years now I think... still a long way from getting my £50 cheque! So definitely not quick cash!

I did a survey on the doorstep a few weeks back, brain wasn't fuctioning properly and it was about various bank advertisments - the boys were messing about behind me and I got through (the long) questions very quickly.........and got a £2 Boots Voucher for my troubles (didn't know I was getting it before I started).

After she'd gone I realised I'd answered half the questions 'wrong' - mixed up loads of advertisements and basically made a complete balls up of it for her

Ah, fair enough, QoQ, I didn't know it was cheque - I assumed it was Amazon vouchers etc.

Some argue that for some things, online or post surveys are better as people don't answer what they think the interviewer wants to hear, they answer the truth.

I just always remember written anonymous surveys about drugs being given to us in high school, and people providing completely outrageous answers, for fun. I'd like to think adults wouldn't behave like that, but I'm not sure I do.

GeorginaA,

Don't you think that it is shocking that 44% of respondents agreed that:

"If anyone is charged and put on trial in Britain in connection with the bombings on July 7, do you think they will or will not receive a fair trial"

44% felt that they would not receive a fair trial

That suggests to me some underlying disaffection, belief in institutionalised racism perhaps?

Wouldn't you expect them to receive a fair trial? I know I would...and I think it is worrying if 44% of respondents don't have that degree of confidence.

Oh, QoQ, as long as you answer what you remember, at the time, that's fine. A good advert would stay in your head really well.

The interviewer won't be penalised because you got it "wrong". I'm sure she was just delighted you did the whole survey - when I did door-to-door, it was so so so depressing having people be rude to you and slam the door. I think I was only 14 at the time ... certainly under 18. It was even worse than phone interviewing.

hmc, I don't think they'd get a fair trial. I don't think they would at all. Haven't there been lots of unfair convictions (since overturned) of Irish people, re: the IRA bombings? And I think Muslims face much stronger discrimination than Irish people did, in those days.

ahh but that's the point NCQ - as soon as I shut the door I KNEW what almost all of the advertisments were for - but with a toddler and a 4yr old messing around by my legs and trying to escape I could hardly remember my own name - let alone concentrate on the questions LOL.

Sure, QoQ. But do you make all your shopping decisions without those children? Or does it matter more what you can remember with two kids pulling on your legs?

I do understand that "doh!" feeling after you've done a survey, though. I've had it too.

But surveys are all about what you can remember, not about what's right.

"But do you make all your shopping decisions without those children? "

Yes - I either shop online, or (rarely) DH drops me off at the supermarket then picks me up when I'm finished .

If I need to buy things for myself (non grocery) I leave the boys at home with DH at the weekend and go into town on my own.

And if I do go shopping for stuff with the boys, it's usually with a 'set' list of items.