Poll majority: mosque near Ground Zero 'wrong'

A new Quinnipiac University poll says 70 percent of American voters believe Muslims have the right to build a mosque and cultural center near Ground Zero in Manhattan, but 63 percent say doing so would be wrong.

The poll released Monday also says only 38 percent of registered voters surveyed said they have a favorable opinion of Islam, while 40 percent have an unfavorable opinion.

Half of those surveyed say mainstream Islam is a peaceful religion, not one that encourages violence against non-Muslims.

Voters also disapprove of how President Barack Obama is handling the New York mosque controversy, 44 to 31 percent.

The poll surveyed about 1,900 registered voters nationwide from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7 and has a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.