Religion Weekly Update, Sept. 4, 2026

A weekly digest of the Center’s latest research on religion and public life in the U.S. and around the world · Subscribe ↗ Next Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Muslim Americans shared in the nation’s grief and fear that day and carried the additional burden of being singled out for suspicion. Twenty-five years later, some Americans still see Islam and Muslims through the lens of 9/11. By some measures, Americans’ views of Muslims have become more negative than they were immediately after 9/11, according to a new Pew Research Center data essay. In March 2002, just six months after the al-Qaida attacks, 25% of U.S. adults said Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence. Today, 51% of U.S. adults think this. Yet Muslims are a growing, vibrant part of America’s religious tapestry. There are about 5.5 million Muslims of all ages in the country today, up from 2.4 million in 2007. Read more in our data essay about public perceptions of Islam and Muslims, the post-9/11 experiences of Muslim Americans, and more.