29% of Americans believe Obama is Muslim: poll

Speculation over Obama's birthplace and religion just don't seem to go away


Web Desk September 15, 2015
US President Barack Obama. PHOTO: AFP

Misconceptions regarding US President Barack Obama’s religion are still rife with 29 per cent of Americans still believing he is Muslim, according to a CNN/ORC poll.

Obama, the first African American to hold the office of president, was born in Hawaii and is a Christian. However, when Americans were asked about his religious beliefs and place of birth, 29 per cent answered he was a Muslim, while 80 per cent said he was born in the United States.

Read: US poll shows persistence of Obama Muslim lie

In April 2011, amid questions raised by Donald Trump, Obama had released a certified long-form birth certificate, showing he was born at Honolulu's Kapiolani Hospital on August 4, 1961.

Despite that, the poll findings suggest there are still misperceptions regarding the US president’s background. When asked "Where was Obama born, as far as you know?", only 80 per cent of adults said they believe Obama was born in the United States. The other 20 per cent said he was born outside the country, including nine per cent who believe there is solid evidence of that and 11 per cent who say it is just their suspicion.

Read: Can Americans elect a Muslim president? Maybe they can

Although nearly three in 10 say they think Obama is a Muslim, a large number of Americans say he is a Christian. Among all adults, 39 per cent say they believe Obama is a Protestant or other Christian, four per cent think he's Catholic, two per cent Mormon, one per cent Jewish and one per cent something else. Another 11% say he's not religious, and 14% that they just don't know.

The findings are consistent with polls conducted by ABC News and Washington Post in April 2010. The CNN/ORC Poll was conducted by telephone from September 4 to September 8 among a random national sample of 1,012 adults.

This article originally appeared on CNN.

COMMENTS (4)

Pehla | 8 years ago | Reply @Qazi: I think there is need for correction in your argument. first, 'a father was a Muslim, always a Muslim' This doesn't apply anywhere in Islam. the definition of the term Islam or Muslim is the answer to your argument. Islam or Muslim could be defined as peace, or in another definition submissive to the Supreme Lord Almighty God. so, Every human being is born a Muslim, only that parents influence him/her throughout life. so please get it right. thank you so much
Qazi | 8 years ago | Reply According to Islamic law, if father is a Muslim, so are his children. Obama is certainly a Muslim. He may think he’s a Christian, go to Church, follow Christian traditions but they do not matter. Once a Muslim, always a Muslim. Converting to other faith makes no difference Those American who say he is a Muslim are 100% correct. Probably they have read the Islamic Law.
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