The many facets of negative public opinion towards Muslims

Abstract

Few studies have delved empirically into the various factors driving Islamophobia and negative attitudes towards Muslims, or the various forms they can take among individuals. To what extent does state secularism (or laïcité) policy, such as Bill 21 in Quebec, affect attitudes towards Muslims among the general public? What are the various dimensions of attitudes towards Muslims that can be measured in recent years? Using 2011–2019 Canadian Election Study data, the authors do not find a large impact of state secularism policy on public opinion towards Muslims, nor a strong dislike of organized religion explaining all negative attitudes towards Muslims in Quebec and in the rest of Canada. Instead, they find a wide variety of negative attitudes towards Muslims: some respondents specifically targeted Muslims with their discomfort and dislike, while others showed dislike towards Muslims tied to wider xenophobic attitudes towards racial minorities, immigrants, and other minority and vulnerable groups in society.