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| Terror Networks & Islam |
| Bin Laden's popularity wanes among Moslems |
| 2005-07-15 |
| By Robin Wright, Washington Post EFL. LRR. Osama bin Laden's standing has dropped significantly in some pivotal Muslim countries, while support for suicide bombings and other acts of violence has "declined dramatically," according to a new survey released yesterday. Predominantly Muslim populations in a sampling of six North African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries share to a "considerable degree" Western concerns about Islamic extremism, according to the poll by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, conducted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization. "Most Muslim publics are expressing less support for terrorism than in the past. Confidence in Osama bin Laden has declined markedly in some countries, and fewer believe suicide bombings that target civilians are justified in the defense of Islam," the poll concluded. The one exception is attitudes toward suicide bombings of U.S and Western targets in Iraq, a subject on which Muslims were divided. Roughly half of Muslims in Lebanon, Jordan and Morocco said such attacks are justifiable, while sizable majorities in Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia disagreed. Yet, support for suicide bombings in Iraq still declined by as much as 20 percent compared with a poll taken last year. The results, which also reveal widespread support for democracy, show how profoundly opinions have changed in parts of the Muslim world since Pew took similar surveys in recent years. The poll attributed the difference in attitudes toward extremism to both the terrorist attacks in Muslim nations and the passage of time since the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Might also be that they're seeing the U.S. do exactly what it promised in Iraq: help the Iraqi people take control of their own country and establish a free society--instead of doing the "realist" thing, setting up a "friendly" thugocracy and leaving. . . . The survey, conducted from April through mid-June, before the London bombings, polled 17,000 people in the six Muslim-dominated countries and in 11 major Western and Asian nations, including the United States. They were asked about their attitudes toward Islam, Muslim nations and extremist violence. More than 6,200 interviews in Muslim countries were conducted in person, while interviews in the West and in Asia were done by telephone and in person. The new poll also found that growing majorities or pluralities of Muslims now say that democracy can work in their countries and is not just a Western ideology. Support for democracy was in the 80 percent range in Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco. It was selected by 43 percent in Pakistan and 48 percent in Turkey -- the largest blocks of respondents in both countries because significant numbers were unsure. "They are not just paying lip service. They are saying they specifically want a fair judiciary, freedom of expression and more than one party in elections. It wasn't just a vague concept," Kohut said. "U.S. and Western ideas about democracy have been globalized and are in the Muslim world." At the same time, most Muslims surveyed said they think Islam is playing an increasing role in their politics, a development they view as a positive shift in response to economic problems, growing immorality and concern about Western influence. Jordan was the only exception. The survey results indicate that growing numbers of Muslims differentiate between what they consider the peaceful influence of Islamic values in politics and the use of religion to justify attacks. "The people who see Islam playing an important role in political life are the ones most worried about extremism," Kohut said. . . . . . . The decline in support for suicide bombings was largest in Indonesia, which has witnessed deadly bombings at a Marriott hotel in Jakarta and at a Bali tourist hotel -- attacks that seriously affected tourism and foreign investment. Jordan was the only country where the majority surveyed -- 57 percent -- still support terrorist acts in defense of Islam, possibly because the majority Palestinian population is Wonder if that would hold if the bombs were exploding in Amman? |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #8 .com, like the imams are doing in the TV interviews in London at the mo |
| Posted by: Nock Eyes Nilberforce 2005-07-15 15:37 |
| #7 The January Iraqi Elections are responsible for the surge of support for democracy in the middle east. W was and is right, freedom will spread. In 50 years from now I see a democratic and free middle east, God willing. |
| Posted by: bgrebel9 2005-07-15 14:18 |
| #6 And, for added confidence in these polls, let's not forget taqiya -- i.e. that it's fine to lie through their teeth, if they feel they need to. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-15 14:18 |
| #5 what matters in these polls is the trend the trend is OK in some places but the trend is negative in Jordan and Pakistan what I would really like to see is the same questions asked of Moslems in the west undoubtly the results would show huge numbers of supporters of OBL and of suicide bombings |
| Posted by: mhw 2005-07-15 14:02 |
| #4 Doesn't mean all too much does it. There is a whole septic tank cleaner truck full of em to choose from for righteous leadership. All variations on the same sickening sour flavor. |
| Posted by: MunkarKat 2005-07-15 13:29 |
| #3 Maybe this is a case of the "who have you killed for us, lately" attitude. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2005-07-15 12:23 |
| #2 I am sure that the people being polled are lying through their teeth. Bin Laden is undoubtedly still a hero in the Muslim world. But the very fact that it is no longer respectable to openly express for bin Laden is, in itself, telling. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-07-15 10:58 |
| #1 Seeing OBL's popularity wane in the Muslim world is a good sign but he still averages 30% in the countries listed. That would equate to something like 400,000,000 folks in the Muslim world who'd "trust bin Laden to the the right thing regarding world affairs." Faster please. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2005-07-15 10:58 |