According to a study by the ISPO (Institute for Social and Political Opinion Research), close to half of Flemish voters have a negative image of Islam and Muslims. 46 percent believe that Islam has nothing to contribute to European Culture, and 47 percent think that Islamic values are a threat to Europe, while 37 percent believe that most Muslims have no respect for European culture and way of life.
The ISPO study interviewed 1,084 Flemish voters about their voting behavior between September 2007 and January 2008, and questioned respondents on the concept of “Islamophobia” and the negative attitude towards Islam were surveyed in the margins of the study. 81 pecent of respondents also think that Muslim men dominate their wives too much, and the majority – 53 percent believe that Muslim women should not wear a headscarf during public functions. The attitude of Flemish voters towards Islam is more negative than the attitude towards other ethnic minorities.
Overall, younger respondents had a more favorable view of immigrants, while elderly respondents were the most negative.
