Sunday, May 10, 2009

Muslim public opinion on Al Qaeda, attack on Americans, and bin Laden

A recent poll taken in Muslim countries indicates the following:

-Large majorities oppose attacks on American civilians and the use of violence to achieve political ends; however, in the case of US military troops (as opposed to civilians) the answer is different, as significant numbers, and in some countries majorities, approve of attacks on US troops based in Muslim countries. In line with this, large majorities oppose the presence of US troops in Muslim countries.
-Views of Al-Qaeda are somewhat more complex. The survey reveals that majorities of Muslims agree with Al-Qaeda's objectives (to change US behavior in the Muslim world, to promote Islamist governance, and to preserve and affirm Islamic identity). However, only minorities (between 10-20%) approve of Al-Qaeda's methods--such as terrorism towards civilians--to achieve those goals.
-Feelings toward Osama bin Laden were divided, but seemed on balance to be somewhat more positive than negative. But this depends on the country: for instance, in Turkey, bin Laden is clearly not seen favorably (68% see him negatively), but in other places bin Laden is seen more positively, as in the Palestinian territories (56% positive) and Egypt (44% positive).

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