More from The Pew Research Center

Returning to the survey from The Pew Research Center - the one we talked about in December: We find some areas for concern, an obvious source of divisiveness, and a hint about where we might look as we search for solutions. Here are some excerpts followed by our comentary:

1. “Public attitudes about Muslims and Islam have grown more negative in recent years.” Things are getting worse, not better.

2. “The biggest influence on the public's impressions of Muslims, particularly among those who express an unfavorable opinion of Muslims, is what people hear and read in the media.” The largest source of unfavorable opinion is the media. It is important to recognize that the influence of the media only exists because of our collective decision to look to sources outside of ourselves to tell us how to think.

3. “The survey shows that knowing a Muslim is associated with more positive views of the religion.” Could it be that increasing global harmony is as simple as getting to know one another?

Interesting to think about.