WASHINGTON (AP) ? The percentage of Americans who believe Islam is more likely than other religions to inspire violence has declined in the past two years, according to a poll taken after the London bombings.

Just over a third, 36 percent, now say the Islamic religion is more likely to inspire violence, while 44 percent said that in July 2003, according to the poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

?This may have to do with some backing off of negative opinions the American public had of Muslims in 2002 and 2003,? said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Centre.

The poll found that recent terrorist bombings in London have had no noticeable impact on the public?s view of Muslim-Americans or of Islam.

Just over half in the poll, 55 percent, said they have a positive view of Muslim-Americans. That?s roughly the same number who felt that way in July 2003 and higher than the number who said they have a positive view of Muslim-Americans in March 2001, before the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

About the same number in the poll, 57 percent, said they have a favorable view of evangelical Christians. Three-fourths had favourable views of Jews and Catholics.

?The more people know about Islam, the less critical they are,? said Kohut.

People who were more knowledgeable about Islam tended to have a more positive view of Muslim-Americans and their religion. Only a third of Americans said they have some knowledge or a lot of knowledge about Islam.

Americans? views of Islam were less positive than their views of Muslim-Americans. Four in ten now say they have a favourable view of Islam, while 36 percent have an unfavourable view ? numbers that are virtually unchanged since March 2002. White evangelicals, especially those who are the most devout, were least likely to have a favourable view of Islam.

Of those polled, 60 percent said the terrorist attacks represent a conflict with a small radical group. Only one-fourth of those polled said they think it is likely to grow into a major world conflict.

The poll of 2,000 adults was taken from July 7-17 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.