About 74% of American adults say changes in social norms have made marriage less appealing to younger generations, according to a survey conducted for a Muslim advocacy group.
What’s more, two-thirds of those surveyed say that a decreasing commitment to marriage will spur a rise in divorce.
The findings are part of “The Family Values and Gender Roles Snapshot,” an online survey conducted in May by The Harris Poll for the Islamic Circle of North America. The 200,000-member ICNA, an umbrella group of Muslim organizations, aims to “promote Islamic values through safeguarding our moral, familial, and religious traditions,” according to a statement by its president, Dr. Mohsin Ansari.
The ICNA survey found that 63% of respondents said changing attitudes about gender roles have led to a decline in traditional family values, with 67% of men and 59% of women agreeing with that statement.
In addition, 69% of respondents said “religion is important in upholding traditional family values.” Those between 35 and 44 years old (71%) and those 55 and older (75%) were more likely to agree, compared to those aged 18-34 and 45-54 (62% each).
Also, 60% said individualism has led to a decline in support for traditional values.
Dr. Ansari, a Maryland pediatrician, says there is reason for hope in discerning the negative outlook on traditional family formation and values.
“It is better to have the diagnosis than not to have a diagnosis, no matter how severe is the illness,” he said Sunday in a video interview from ICNA’s annual convention in Baltimore.
The poll “reaffirmed our belief on the problems and diagnosis we face” regarding family values, he said, adding that events such as the convention show “the moral strength, the spiritual uplifting which we provide.”
Dr. Ansari said only 1% of survey respondents identified as Muslim, a percentage that “is pretty much the demographic of American society” and renders the results “a general population survey.”
“The data also suggests that people in this society believe that religious commitment and religious beliefs help build the family values better than non-religious beliefs,” he said.
As a result, ICNA will continue its missionary outreach efforts, Dr. Ansari said. ICNA members will also join in legal efforts to ensure parents can “opt out” of mandated student instruction in lessons and storybooks on LGBTQ themes, as happened last week in Montgomery County, Maryland, where Christian and Muslim parents sued the local school board.
Dr. Ansari said that if parents must sign consent forms for their 15-year-old children to receive vaccinations “or make a decision about their medical care,” those same parents should be able to guide those children’s education.
“Why would they not ask the parents to take care of their spiritual and mental well-being which is distorted and distracted by lots of information which is untrue, and takes them away from the reality of life,” he said.
ICNA said the Harris online survey was conducted May 4-8 among 2,053 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
• Mark A. Kellner can be reached at mkellner@washingtontimes.com.
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