NEW YORK - A Muslim group has the right to build a mosque near Ground Zero, New York State likely voters say 80 – 15 percent, but mosque supporters should agree voluntarily to build it somewhere else, voters say 67 – 21 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Building the mosque near Ground Zero is “wrong,” 57 percent of New York likely voters tell the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey, conducted by live interviewers. Another 32 percent say it is “appropriate” to build the mosque near Ground Zero. Voters across the political spectrum agree by large margins that the Muslim group has the right to build the mosque. Democrats say 50 – 34 percent that a mosque near Ground Zero is appropriate, while Republicans say 90 – 8 percent and independent voters say 63 – 30 percent that it’s wrong. Calls to move the mosque voluntarily range from 95 – 4 percent among Republicans to 72 – 22 percent among independent voters to 49 – 29 percent among Democrats. “Most voters think it isn’t ‘appropriate’ to put a mosque close to Ground Zero. There’s a party split: Republicans overwhelmingly say no; Democrats say yes,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “But almost all New Yorkers agree that America’s belief in freedom of religion gives Muslims the right to build the mosque.” From September 16 – 20, Quinnipiac University surveyed 751 New York State likely voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percentage points. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and nationwide as a public service and for research.
Do you think it is appropriate to build a mosque and Islamic center near
ground zero, or do you think it would be wrong to do so?
LIKELY VOTERS .......................................
TEA PARTY Q22
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No
Yes/Appropriate 32 8 50 30 36 27 11 38
No/Wrong to do so 57 90 34 63 58 56 81 50
DK/NA 11 2 16 7 6 17 7 12
Regardless of whether you think it is appropriate to build a mosque near
ground zero, do you think the Muslim group has the right to build a mosque
there, or don't they have that right?
LIKELY VOTERS .......................................
TEA PARTY Q22
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No
Yes/Have the right 80 78 80 86 87 71 70 82
No/Don't have right 15 20 15 11 12 19 27 12
DK/NA 5 2 5 3 1 10 3 5
Regardless of whether you think the Muslim group has the right to build a
mosque there, do you think the Muslim group should voluntarily build the mosque somewhere else or not?
LIKELY VOTERS .......................................
TEA PARTY Q22
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No
Yes 67 95 49 72 65 69 84 63
No 21 4 29 22 25 16 10 24
DK/NA 12 1 21 6 10 15 6 13