One in four younger Muslims in the United States believes suicide bombings to defend Islam are justified in at least some circumstances, although nearly 80 per cent of all Muslim Americans say such attacks are never acceptable, and most are critical of Al Qaeda, according to a poll released yesterday.

The Pew Research Center study paints a picture of a diverse, complex and still largely immigrant community that for the most part has blended comfortably into American life.

Most Muslim Americans are moderate, mainstream and middle class, the study shows. They are largely assimilated, happy with their lives, and their income and educational levels are comparable with most Americans.

In a conference call yesterday from Washington, D.C., Pew Research Center director Andrew Kohut said the support for suicide bombings – although limited – was one of the few trouble spots the study found in an overwhelmingly positive portrait of the U.S. Muslim community.

Overall, 78 per cent of Muslim Americans said suicide bombings of civilian targets to defend Islam cannot be justified; 13 per cent say they can be, in some circumstances. The view is strongest among those younger than 30, but for all Muslim Americans, such support is far lower than among Muslims in many other nations, including in several Western European countries.

The poll also found most U.S. Muslims are Democrats or lean that way, but also tend to be social conservatives.

The poll also found that native-born black Muslims, who make up about 20 per cent of the Muslim community in the U.S., are the most disillusioned segment, tending to be more skeptical of the view that hard work pays off and less satisfied with the way things are going.

The Pew poll estimates there are roughly 2.35 million Muslim Americans. The study was based on telephone interviews with 1,050 adult Muslims, some of whom were interviewed in Arabic, Urdu or Farsi.The margin of error for the poll, which was conducted between January and April, is plus or minus 5 percentage points.

LOS ANGELES TIMES