US Muslims Show Starkly Different Views on 9/11 Responsibility, Survey Finds

A recent survey conducted by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) reveals significant disparities in how American Muslims and non-Muslims perceive the perpetrators of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The study, titled "25 Years After 9/11: Conspiracy Theories Challenge Historical Facts," surveyed 416 American Muslims and 429 non-Muslims between September 10-16, 2026. The findings indicate a "severe disintegration of a shared American reality," marked by socio-religious divides and a decline in historical knowledge.

While official investigations concluded Al-Qaeda was responsible for the attacks, only 23.56% of surveyed American Muslims agreed, compared to 62.24% of non-Muslims. Notably, 27.40% of American Muslims attributed the attacks to Israel or "Zionists," and 18.51% blamed the U.S. government or the CIA.

A generational gap was also observed, with only 40% of those under 30 identifying Al-Qaeda as responsible. The JCFA expressed concern that 28.57% of this younger demographic being uncertain about the attackers' identity creates fertile ground for "digital manipulation."

Politically, non-Muslim Republicans largely view radical Islamism and Iran as the primary threats, while a plurality of American Muslims (26.20%) see the CIA or government agencies as the main danger for future large-scale attacks. The survey also explored tolerance for radical critiques of U.S. foreign policy, finding that 28.13% of American Muslims agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "America deserved 9/11," compared to 71.33% of non-Muslims who rejected it.

Disagreements extended to educational perspectives, with a majority of non-Muslims favoring mandatory 9/11 curriculum, while a smaller percentage of American Muslims supported this, with over a third remaining neutral.