Respondents were given a card listing six religions and were asked to name which of them they like, and which they dislike (data given in % of those surveyed):

Islam was mentioned as an "alien" religion most often. What do Russians think about this religion?

Respondents were asked the following open-ended question: "WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FIRST WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD 'ISLAM'?"

Many Russians associate the word "Islam" with war and terrorism (22%): "terrorism under the banner of Islam"; "various military conflicts related to Islam". Believers in Islam are seen as aggressive, unmerciful, fanatical, and antagonistic to other religions" (18%): "bandits on a world scale"; "suicide women"; "cruelty and violence"; "brutality"; "obscurantism, fanaticism".

Neutral notions were given by 36% of respondents. Their comments include the following: "one of the world's religions", "people living in Oriental countries", "the Chechens", "the Dagestanis", "the Tartars", "people from the Caucasus". Moreover, respondents associate Islam with some of its symbols: "Allah", "the Koran", "Mohammed", "pilgrimage to Mecca".

The few positive associations were usually general or abstract (3%): "something sublime", "honesty", "humanity", "calm, peace", "justice". One percent of associations were personal: "my village, my relatives..."; "my grandmother and grandfather"; "my mother".