Donald Trump says that in the wake of the apparently Isis-linked San Bernardino shootings, all Muslims should be banned from entering the US “until we are able to understand this problem”.
In implicating every follower of the religion in the massacre in California, the 2016 Republican contender betrayed a popular American belief that Isis is widely supported across the Muslim world.
Yet the reality is that Muslims around the world share an overwhelmingly negative view of the militant group.
Mr Trump said in a campaign statement that “hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population” was evident “without looking at the various polling data”.
But when data journalist Max Galka actually did just that, he found that no more than 15 per cent of people in countries with significant Muslim populations outside of Syria had a favourable view of Isis.
The figures include a recent Pew Research study, which found that even in Nigeria – the country with the highest levels of support for Isis outside Syria – only 14 per cent of people had a favourable view of the group.
Of those surveyed in Lebanon, where the research was carried out just days after a major Isis attack, 99 per cent said they had an unfavourable view of the group.
In Iraq itself, the birthplace of Isis, only 5 per cent of those surveyed said they support Isis, while just 4 per cent of Saudi Arabians said they do so – despite widespread criticisms to the contrary.
