Few think Osama bin Laden greeted by virgins in heaven, poll finds
In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, many Americans became aware that some self-identified Islamic martyrs believe they will be greeted in heaven by 72 virgin after they die.
Yet few Americans believe that Osama bin Laden is enjoying such an afterlife.
A new Fox News poll asked Americans, "Do you believe Usama bin Laden was greeted by 72 virgins in heaven or did he meet a more negative end?"
Just 3 percent said the 9/11 mastermind was greeted by virgins after being killed at his Pakistan compound. Eighty percent said bin Laden met a "negative end," while 17 percent said they were unsure.
The poll also shows that 15 percent of Americans think there's a chance bin Laden might still be alive, while 78 percent "absolutely believe" he's dead.
As Slate explained last year, "The Quran itself describes little about the specifics of the afterlife, but it does note that believers will find huris, or maidens 'of modest gaze, whom neither man nor jinni will have touched before them.' (Every believer can end up in heaven; martyrs just get there faster.)"
