M AY18,2016

Religionislesscentraltoeverydaylifefor
MuslimsinIsraelthanelsewhereinthe
region
BYKELSEYJOSTARR (HTTP://WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG/AUTHOR/KSTARR/)

(http://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=280128)

IsraelsMuslimsarehighlydevoutwhencomparedwith
membersofthecountrysotherprincipalreligions,
includingJews,ChristiansandDruze.However,inthe
largercontextoftheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica,
IsraeliMuslimsactuallyplacelessemphasisonreligion
andsomeofthekeypillarsoftheirfaiththando
Muslimsinneighboringcountries.
Forinstance,whileamajorityofIsraeliMuslims(68%)sayreligionisveryimportantintheirlives
(http://www.pewforum.org/2016/03/08/religiouscommitment/#pluralityofisraelijewssayreligionisnotimportantto
them),thisshareissubstantiallylowerthanthe89%whosaythesameinMoroccoorthe85%inthenearby

PalestinianterritoriesandJordan.Lebanonistheonly
countrypolledintheregionwhereaslimmajorityof
Muslimssayreligionisveryimportantintheirpersonal
lives(59%).
Thefactthatreligionisgenerallylesscentraltothelives
ofIsraeliMuslimsisalsoborneoutbytherelativelylow
ratesofsalat(fivedailyprayers),almsgivingand
fastingduringRamadan.Together,thesepractices
representthreeoftheFivePillarsofIslamritualsall
Muslimsareexpectedtoobserve.
(http://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=280127)

Roughlyhalf(52%)ofIsraeliMuslimsprayfivetimesa
day,comparedwithamedianof63%amongMuslimsin
otherMiddleEasternandNorthAfricancountries
polled,including83%inIraq.JordanandEgyptarethe
onlycountriespolledwheretheproportionofMuslims
whoprayallfivetimesstandsatroughlyhalf54%and
53%respectively.
Similarly,whileamajorityofIsraeliMuslimsgivea
portionoftheiraccumulatedwealthtocharitiesorthe
needy(apracticeknownaszakat),thisisasignificantlysmallerproportionthanisfoundamongMuslims
elsewhereintheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica.Aregionalmedianof79%ofMuslimspracticezakat,withratesof
observanceashighasnineinteninMorocco(92%).
InthecaseoffastingduringRamadan,IsraelsMuslimsalsotendtobelessobservant.While83%ofIsraeli
Muslimsdoobservetheritualfastfromdawnuntildusk,thisisasignificantlysmallerpercentagethaninMuslim
majoritycountriessuchasMorocco(98%)andTunisia(96%).Amedianof94%acrosstheMiddleEastandNorth
AfricasaytheyfastduringRamadan.
Insomecases,IsraelsMuslimsareinsyncwithotherMuslimsintheregion.Forexample,97%ofIsraeliMuslims
saytheybelievethereisnogodexceptAllahandthatMuhammadistheprophetofAllah(twocorebeliefsthat
constitutetheshahada,orprofessionoffaith).Thiscloselymatchesthenearly100%ofMuslimssurveyedacross

theMiddleEastandNorthAfricawhoalsoembracethis
centraltenetofIslam.
Also,IsraeliMuslimsaresomewhatmorelikelyto
observethefinalpillarofIslamtheannualpilgrimage
toMeccathanMuslimsinmanynearbycountries.
Nearlyaquarter(23%)ofIsraeliMuslimshavemadethe
hajj,comparedwithjustahandfulofMuslimsin
Morocco(6%)andTunisia(4%).Possiblyowingto
proximitytoSaudiArabia,IsraeliMuslimsareaboutas
likelyasMuslimsinEgypt(20%)andLebanon(20%)
tohavecompletedthehajj.

1.

KelseyJoStarr(http://www.pewresearch.org/author/kstarr/)isaresearchassistantfocusingon
religionatPewResearchCenter.
POSTS

EMAIL

@KELSEYJOSTARR

8Comments
MichaelGlass1dayago(#comment-669252)
IfratesofreligiousobservancearelessinIsraelthaninneighbouringArabcountriesthenitwouldbe
interestingtofindoutwhathappenstoratesofobservanceamongstMuslimsinWesterncountries.
WhataretheratesofobservanceamongstMuslimsinEurope,NorthAmericaandAustralia?Howdothey
comparewiththeratesinIsraelandinMuslimcountriesintheMiddleEast?Also,howdotheycompare
betweentheWesterncountries.AreMuslimslessormoreobservantintheUScomparedwithCanada,theUK
andEurope?AretheratesanydifferentinAustraliaandNewZealand?Also,whataboutnon=Arabicspeaking
Muslimcountries.HowobservantareMuslimsinPakistan,IndonesiaandBangladesh?
Thisarticleisinteresting,butIwouldliketohaveawiderpictureofMuslimpractice.
Reply

ZackariasWilliamCosby21hoursago(#comment-669275)
Iagree,thoughIappreciatetheinformationthisarticleconveysasitstands!Comparingtheobservance
ratesofthereligiousacrossbordersissomethingIfinduniquelyinteresting.
AquicksearchofthePewResearchwebsitefoundafewarticlesthatdelvefurtherintohowstricteven
moreMiddleEasternnationsareregardingIslam.Youmightalsobeabletopiecetogethersomeofthe
informationonyourownregardingothercontinentsaswellifyoutypeinIslaminEuropeandIslamin
NorthAmerica.Thosebothreturnrelevantresults.
Reply

CharlieSitzes5daysago(#comment-669004)
Heresthething.IfMuslimswereallaccidentallyswitchedatbirthandsenthomewith,say,aBaptistora
Methodist,theywouldallbeeitheraBaptistoraMethodist.
Childrenareindoctrinatedintoreligionbeforetheirmindshavedevelopedenoughforcriticalthinking,logic
andreason.Itsjustanotherexampleofchildabuse.Ifreligiousleadersandfamilieshadthecouragetowait
untiltheirchildrenwereintheirmidtolate20s,theamountoftimeittakesforfullbraindevelopment,
religionwouldsoondisappear.
Asitstandsnow,ourspeciesislikelytodisappearfirst.
Whatatragedy.
Reply

JimMcLaughlin4daysago(#comment-669062)
Iagree100%withyouincludingthechildabusecomment.AstheJesuitssupposedlysay,Giveusa
childuntilhe(orshe)issevenyears-oldandwewillhavethemforlife.
Reply

Anonymous4daysago(#comment-669120)
Perfectlysaid.
Reply

Anonymous2daysago(#comment-669192)
Thereareplentyofpeoplewhoundergoreligiousconversionsaftertheirtwenties,somefromirreligious
backgroundsorafterperiodsofirreligion.ForexampleSteveBeren,EugeneD.Genovese,DavidP.
Goldman,WillHerberg,PeterHitchens,GabrielMarcel,AllanR.Sandage,R.J.Stove,andothers.
Butonsomelevel,yeahpeoplegowiththeculturetheyreraisedin.IfyoutooktheMuslimsoftheArab
worldandraisedthemwithAmerican-bornMuslimfamiliestheyllmorelikelyendupasEnglishspeaking.AndtheyllbeunlikelytoconvertoutofthatandbecomeArab-onlyspeakers.Kidstendto
beraisedbyparentssoevenifparentstrytoletthemfindtheirownwaymanyofthemwillatleast
initiallygowiththeirparents,ortheirgreatersociety,believes.
Reply

GregoryAharfi1dayago(#comment-669249)
Ifanadultperson(firmly)believesinsomething,wetheritisGod,capitalismorveganism,whywouldhe
wait20yearsbeforeteachingittohissonordaughter?
Also,religionseemstheonlyideologythatpeoplehavetroublegettingridof.Todayweseethatchildren
donotalwaysfollowtheirparentsworldviewineconomy,educationandpoliticsforexample.
Reply

ZackariasWilliamCosby21hoursago(#comment-669272)
Imnotsurehowlongcommentshavebeenenabledonthiswebsite,butIfindyourcommenttobe
divisiveanddisrespectful.Whileyouarticulatedyourbeliefinaproperandintelligentmanner,the
thoughtconveyedservesnopurposetothisarticleortoanybodyreadingthesecommentsformore
informationregardingthisarticle.
AsanavidnewsjunkieIfindthiswebsitetobeoneofmyfavoritesandhopetoseemoreintellectually
stimulatingcommentsinthissectionratherthanthedrivelIcanseeonanyothernewswebsite.
Reply