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I was reading an article from Michael Barone in US News & World Report(8/29/05) and something stuck out which goes against the "common knowledge" which is thrown at us by the left.
For those who wish to keep their blinders on...please do not read any further...
Polls in the United States may show that Americans have become less supportive of our efforts in Iraq as the suicide bombings and roadside-bomb attacks continue. But the Pew polls in these Muslim countries show that those attacks have moved Muslim opinion against the terrorists and toward democracy.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/articles/050829/29barone.htm
For those who go through life slurping down every bias idea a slanted website has to offer(truthout.org, mediaresearch.com, etc.), Pew Research is THEE most non-partisan survey group known to man. Their objectivity is leaps and bounds above all others. As per their first statement on their homepage...
The Pew Research Center is a non-partisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues.
Since Mr. Barone pointed us, the readers, toward Pew as the source for his claim, I went to their website to get more information...
What you are about to see flies in the face of all that "the left" wants to believe...
I will throw out "snippets" of info, as the article and subdivisions can be lenghty...I urge all to go to the site itself for a full report...
Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics
Concerns over Islamic extremism, extensive in the West even before this month's terrorist attacks in London, are shared to a considerable degree by the publics in several predominantly Muslim nations surveyed. Nearly three-quarters of Moroccans and roughly half of those in Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia see Islamic extremism as a threat to their countries. At the same time, 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(see chart #1)
The polling also finds that in most majority-Muslim countries surveyed, support for suicide bombings and other acts of violence in defense of Islam has declined significantly. In Turkey, Morocco and Indonesia, 15% or fewer now say such actions are justifiable. In Pakistan, only one-in-four now take that view (25%), a sharp drop from 41% in March 2004. In Lebanon, 39% now regard acts of terrorism as often or sometimes justified, again a sharp drop from the 73% who shared that view in 2002. A notable exception to this trend is Jordan, where a majority (57%) now says suicide bombings and other violent actions are justifiable in defense of Islam.
As in past Global Attitudes surveys, publics in predominantly Muslim countries believe that democracy can work in their countries. Large and growing majorities in Morocco (83%), Lebanon (83%), Jordan (80%) and Indonesia (77%) – as well as pluralities in Turkey (48%) and Pakistan (43%) – say democracy can work well and is not just for the West.(see Chart #4)
Outside the Muslim world, the Pew survey finds that in countries such as India, Russia, Germany and the Netherlands, concerns about Islamic extremism – both within their own borders and around the world – are running high. Worries over Islamic extremism are nearly as high in France and Spain. Concerns about terrorism at home and around the world run parallel in only three countries, Russia, India and Spain. Before the London terrorist attacks, Americans and Britons expressed more concern about extremism around the world than they did at home(See Chart #5)
Majorities in Great Britain, France, Canada, the U.S. and Russia, as well as pluralities in Spain and Poland, say they have a somewhat or very favorable view of Muslims. In the West, only among the Dutch and Germans does a majority or plurality hold unfavorable views of Muslims (51% and 47%, respectively).
And the coup de grat...
While support for suicide bombings and other terrorist acts has fallen in most Muslim-majority nations surveyed, so too has confidence in Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. In Lebanon, just 2% report some or a lot of confidence in bin Laden, and in Turkey only 7% do so.
In Morocco, just 26% of the public now say they have a lot or some confidence in bin Laden, down sharply from 49% in May 2003. In Indonesia, the public is now about evenly split, with 35% saying they place at least some confidence in bin Laden and 37% saying they have little or none; that represents a major shift since 2003, when 58% expressed confidence in bin Laden.
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=248
cnredd's note..."I couldn't upload all seven charts...they are available at the website"....
If the left looks hard enough, they will find little morsels to hang on to...but there is OVERWHELMING evidence that the "opening of eyes" in the Middle Eastern world is slowly, but surely, taking effect.
"For those who understand no explanation is needed, ...For those who don't none will do". - Jerry Lewis
For those who wish to keep their blinders on...please do not read any further...
Polls in the United States may show that Americans have become less supportive of our efforts in Iraq as the suicide bombings and roadside-bomb attacks continue. But the Pew polls in these Muslim countries show that those attacks have moved Muslim opinion against the terrorists and toward democracy.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/articles/050829/29barone.htm
For those who go through life slurping down every bias idea a slanted website has to offer(truthout.org, mediaresearch.com, etc.), Pew Research is THEE most non-partisan survey group known to man. Their objectivity is leaps and bounds above all others. As per their first statement on their homepage...
The Pew Research Center is a non-partisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues.
Since Mr. Barone pointed us, the readers, toward Pew as the source for his claim, I went to their website to get more information...
What you are about to see flies in the face of all that "the left" wants to believe...
I will throw out "snippets" of info, as the article and subdivisions can be lenghty...I urge all to go to the site itself for a full report...
Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics
Concerns over Islamic extremism, extensive in the West even before this month's terrorist attacks in London, are shared to a considerable degree by the publics in several predominantly Muslim nations surveyed. Nearly three-quarters of Moroccans and roughly half of those in Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia see Islamic extremism as a threat to their countries. At the same time, 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(see chart #1)
The polling also finds that in most majority-Muslim countries surveyed, support for suicide bombings and other acts of violence in defense of Islam has declined significantly. In Turkey, Morocco and Indonesia, 15% or fewer now say such actions are justifiable. In Pakistan, only one-in-four now take that view (25%), a sharp drop from 41% in March 2004. In Lebanon, 39% now regard acts of terrorism as often or sometimes justified, again a sharp drop from the 73% who shared that view in 2002. A notable exception to this trend is Jordan, where a majority (57%) now says suicide bombings and other violent actions are justifiable in defense of Islam.
As in past Global Attitudes surveys, publics in predominantly Muslim countries believe that democracy can work in their countries. Large and growing majorities in Morocco (83%), Lebanon (83%), Jordan (80%) and Indonesia (77%) – as well as pluralities in Turkey (48%) and Pakistan (43%) – say democracy can work well and is not just for the West.(see Chart #4)
Outside the Muslim world, the Pew survey finds that in countries such as India, Russia, Germany and the Netherlands, concerns about Islamic extremism – both within their own borders and around the world – are running high. Worries over Islamic extremism are nearly as high in France and Spain. Concerns about terrorism at home and around the world run parallel in only three countries, Russia, India and Spain. Before the London terrorist attacks, Americans and Britons expressed more concern about extremism around the world than they did at home(See Chart #5)
Majorities in Great Britain, France, Canada, the U.S. and Russia, as well as pluralities in Spain and Poland, say they have a somewhat or very favorable view of Muslims. In the West, only among the Dutch and Germans does a majority or plurality hold unfavorable views of Muslims (51% and 47%, respectively).
And the coup de grat...
While support for suicide bombings and other terrorist acts has fallen in most Muslim-majority nations surveyed, so too has confidence in Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. In Lebanon, just 2% report some or a lot of confidence in bin Laden, and in Turkey only 7% do so.
In Morocco, just 26% of the public now say they have a lot or some confidence in bin Laden, down sharply from 49% in May 2003. In Indonesia, the public is now about evenly split, with 35% saying they place at least some confidence in bin Laden and 37% saying they have little or none; that represents a major shift since 2003, when 58% expressed confidence in bin Laden.
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=248
cnredd's note..."I couldn't upload all seven charts...they are available at the website"....
If the left looks hard enough, they will find little morsels to hang on to...but there is OVERWHELMING evidence that the "opening of eyes" in the Middle Eastern world is slowly, but surely, taking effect.
"For those who understand no explanation is needed, ...For those who don't none will do". - Jerry Lewis
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