OREGON, USA (October 2, 2026) – A new national poll conducted by Our Republic and Rasmussen Reports finds a substantial generational divide over sharia, with younger Americans expressing significantly more favorable attitudes toward Islamic law than older voters.
Sharia is a system of Islamic religious principles and law, derived primarily from the Quran and the teachings and practices of Muhammad, that addresses matters including religious practice, personal conduct, family life, finance, and often civil and criminal law.
Overall, 21% of likely voters said they have a mostly or somewhat positive opinion of sharia, compared with 57% who have a negative opinion. Positive views were much higher among younger Americans, including 43% of voters ages 18–24 and 39% of those ages 25–29.
See all poll questions and key insights from the crosstabs at the bottom of this press release. You can view all of the polling data and crosstabs here.
Young voters were also substantially more likely to support requiring public schools to teach children about the benefits of sharia. Twenty-four percent of voters ages 18–24 and 31% of those ages 25–29 support such a requirement, compared with just 3% of voters age 40 and older.
The poll also found that 83% of likely voters oppose allowing sharia to become the legal code for everyone in an American town, city, or state, even if a majority of residents wanted it.
However, roughly one-quarter of voters ages 18–35 said they would support allowing a community to adopt sharia under those circumstances.
The survey uncovered a sharp partisan divide over whether sharia or America’s alliance with Israel represents a greater threat to the nation’s future. Overall, 43% chose sharia and 25% chose the U.S.-Israel alliance. Among Democrats, however, 32% said America’s alliance with Israel poses the greater threat, compared with 23% who chose sharia.
Asked to compare sharia with traditional Christianity, 55% of all likely voters said sharia poses the greater threat to America’s future, while 13% selected traditional Christianity. Among Democrats, 34% selected sharia, 16% selected traditional Christianity, and 41% said neither poses a threat.
The survey of 1,026 likely U.S. voters was conducted September 20, 2026, by Rasmussen Reports and Our Republic. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
The following quotes by Our Republic experts are available for attribution:
“These results reveal a striking generational divide in Americans’ attitudes toward sharia. While a clear majority of voters overall have a negative view of sharia and an overwhelming majority oppose allowing it to become the legal code of an American community, large numbers of younger Americans hold very different views.
“More than four in 10 voters ages 18 to 24 have a positive opinion of sharia, nearly one-third of voters ages 25 to 29 support requiring public schools to teach children about its benefits, and roughly one-quarter of voters ages 18 to 35 would allow an American community to adopt sharia as its legal code if a majority supported it.
“The partisan divide is also remarkable. A plurality of Democrats say America’s alliance with Israel poses a greater threat to the country’s future than sharia law. These findings show just how dramatically attitudes toward sharia, Israel, and traditional American institutions differ across generations and political groups.”
Justin Haskins
President, Senior Fellow
Our Republic
If you’d like to interview an Our Republic expert on this topic or other topics, please contact Justin Haskins, senior fellow and president of Our Republic, at justin@justinhaskins.com, or by phone or text at (401) 464-1966.
National Survey of 1,026 U.S. Likely Voters
Conducted September 20, 2026
By Our Republic and Rasmussen Reports
1* Sharia is a system of Islamic religious principles and law, derived primarily from the Quran and the teachings and practices of Muhammad, that addresses matters including religious practice, personal conduct, family life, finance, and often civil and criminal law. Do you have a positive or negative opinion about sharia?
7% Mostly positive
14% Somewhat positive
14% Somewhat negative
43% Mostly negative
22% Not sure
KEY INSIGHT: 21% of all voters say they have a “mostly positive” or “somewhat positive” view of sharia. 57% said they have a “somewhat negative” or “mostly negative” view of sharia.
KEY INSIGHT: Positive opinions about sharia law were highest among young voters. 43% of 18-24-year-olds, 39% of 25-29-year-olds, and 36% of 35-39-year-olds say they have a “mostly positive” or “somewhat positive” view of sharia.
KEY INSIGHT: 26% of Democrats said they have a “mostly positive” or “somewhat positive” view of sharia.
2* Would you support a law that requires public schools to teach kids about the benefits of sharia law?
8% Yes
76% No
16% Not sure
KEY INSIGHT: Young voters would support requiring schools to teach kids about the benefits of sharia at much higher rates than voters aged 40 or older. 24% of 18-24-year-olds, 31% of 25-29-year-olds, and 19% of 35-39-year-olds said they support the proposal. Only 3% of those aged 40 or older said they support it.
3* If a majority of people in an American town, city, or state were to want sharia law, would you support a proposal that would allow sharia to become the legal code for all citizens in that town, city, or state?
7% Yes
83% No
10% Not sure
KEY INSIGHT: Roughly one-quarter of voters aged 18-35 said they support allowing a town, city, or state to impose sharia law, if a majority of that location’s citizens favor doing so.
4* What poses a greater threat to America’s future: sharia law or America’s alliance with Israel?
43% Sharia law
25% America’s alliance with Israel
15% Neither poses a threat to America
16% Not sure
KEY INSIGHT: A plurality of Democrats (32%) said they believe “America’s alliance with Israel” is “a greater threat” than sharia law. 23% of Democrats said sharia law is a greater threat, 25% of Democrats said “neither,” and 20% said “not sure.”
KEY INSIGHT: A majority of Republicans (68%) said they believe sharia law is “a greater threat” than “America’s alliance with Israel.” Just 16% of Republicans said America’s alliance with Israel is a greater threat, 7% of Republicans said “neither,” and 8% said “not sure.”
5* Which religious ideology poses a greater threat to America’s future: sharia law or traditional Christianity?
55% Sharia law
13% Traditional Christianity
23% Neither poses a threat to America
9% Not sure
KEY INSIGHT: Just 34% of Democrats said they think “sharia law” is a “greater threat to America’s future” than “traditional Christianity.” 41% of Democrats said neither is a threat, and 16% said traditional Christianity is a greater threat.
KEY INSIGHT: A majority of Republicans (80%) and Independents (52%) said they believe “sharia law” is a “greater threat to America’s future” than “traditional Christianity.”
NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence
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