Muslims support suicide bombings.... a little less than before

[mawilson 2,133]

"Muslims increasingly oppose suicide bombings"

Do they not realise how ridiculous that sounds? How about

"Law-abiding citizens increasingly disapprove of rapists and mass murderers"

Anyway - here's the article from The Times. Pay attention to the numbers of Muslims worldwide who DO support suicide bombings.

--mawilson

Muslims increasingly oppose suicide bombings

Muslims increasingly reject Osama bin Laden and oppose suicide bombings but also

regard the United States as a growing threat to their own security, according to a new

international opinion poll.

The findings suggest that the Islamic world wants to turn its back on both sides in the

War on Terror, and do not indicate that America is winning hearts and minds in the

Middle East or beyond.

Instead, the Pew Institute’s Global Attitudes survey shows increasing Muslim hostility

towards violent extremism, particularly in countries that have witnessed its bloody

consequences first hand. These include Lebanon, where the proportion of those who

say suicide bombing is often or sometimes justified has fallen from 74 per cent in 2002

to 34 per cent.

There have also been sharp falls in support for such terrorism in Bangladesh, Pakistan,

Jordan and Indonesia, all of which have suffered suicide bomb attacks in recent years.

In the past five years there has been a similar marked reduction in support for bin Laden,

the leader of al-Qaeda. In Jordan, this has shrunk from 56 per cent to 20 per cent, in

Indonesia from 59 per cent to 41 per cent, in Lebanon from 20 per cent to just 1 per cent

while even in Pakistan – where he is thought to be hiding – the proportion backing him

has dropped from 46 per cent to 38 per cent.

The exception in this survey were the Palestinian Territories where 70 per cent of people

say suicide bombing can often or usually be justified — and only 6 per cent say “never”.

Although backing for bin Laden has fallen by 15 per cent, he still maintains the confidence

of the majority with 57 per cent support.

The Pew Institute report suggested that globally, economic growth and stability were closely

tied to a sense of personal well-being. But there was little evidence to sustain theories that

the economy might have a similar beneficial effect on support for terrorism.

In Lebanon, economic confidence has plummeted following the military clash with Israel but

Muslims are still less likely to support either bin Laden or Hezbollah.

Palestinian support for suicide bombing appears to be fairly uniform across all income levels.

Large majorities of Islamic people in Asia and the Middle East worry that the US could become

a military threat to their countries. Such findings may lend support to the views of the British

Government, among others, that President Bush’s language about the War on Terror and

Islamic extremism have persuaded many Muslims that they are in the cross-hairs of the

American military.

The report says that “Muslims in Bangladesh and Morocco are almost unanimous in their

concern” about the military threat from the US, with more than 90 per cent in each saying

they were very or somewhat worried. So are 85 per cent of Indonesians.

Turkey – a member of Nato – has 77 per cent of its population expressing similar fears, while

73 per cent are concerned in Pakistan and the Palestinian territories.

Even in Kuwait, a country liberated by the US in the first Gulf War, 63 per cent of people are worried.

The belief that the US might pose a military threat varies among people of different faiths

in Lebanon and Malaysia. Nearly two-thirds of Lebanese Muslims fear that America may

become a military threat to their country, compared with 41 per cent of Christians. In Malaysia,

Muslims are considerably more likely than Buddhists to see the US as a potential threat.

Source

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I guess that a rather high percentage of those Muslims surveyed in Bangladesh must have been in "designated" (for Biharis aka "East mohajir) camps--as Bengalis seldom supported any such.

[Dr_LHA 3]

At least the trend is in the right direction!

[nane1104 146]

Scary but not really surprising numbers of people who still approve of suicide bombings. You really have to keep in mind, that these people have a totally different way of thinking and living. I think it is hard for anyone in the western world to understand it.

Good thing is though, that it seems they are changing their way of thinking into the right direction.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Wow!!! A lot support it though. hmmmmm

[Caladan 19]

Interesting, but I'm not sure how many conclusions you can draw about Islam per se by looking at Middle East political problems any more than you could draw conclusions about oh, American Catholics and their support of Ireland's independence movement or evangelical Christians by asking how many approve of brutal torture like Abu Ghraib. I bet if you were to poll Americans whether torture was often justifiable or pre-emptive nuclear war was *never* justifiable you'd see similar percentages. And I don't think it would be right to blame it on Christianity, but on politics.

Nevertheless, I'm glad the grassroots support for suicide bombing is dying.

[mawilson 2,133]

Scary but not really surprising numbers of people who still approve of suicide bombings. You really have to keep in mind, that these people have a totally different way of thinking and living. I think it is hard for anyone in the western world to understand it.

I'm not even trying to understand it, but these stats come from the same people that

keep telling us that Muslims shouldn't be all tarred with the same brush, that suicide

bombers are an aberration, that the majority of Muslims are law-abiding and condemn

the attacks, and that Islam is really a religion of peace. Well, guess what? It's bull #######.

Anywhere from 30 to 50% of all Muslims support terrorist bombers.

If the so-called "moderate Muslims" wish to avoid being tarred with the same extremist

brush, perhaps they should stop supporting the terrorists? Or is it too much to ask?

[Zee Bee 61]

How about the millions of Muslims that live in Africa, Europe and the USA?

I guess their views don't count

[Caladan 19]

Scary but not really surprising numbers of people who still approve of suicide bombings. You really have to keep in mind, that these people have a totally different way of thinking and living. I think it is hard for anyone in the western world to understand it.

I'm not even trying to understand it, but these stats come from the same people that

keep telling us that Muslims shouldn't be all tarred with the same brush, that suicide

bombers are an aberration, that the majority of Muslims are law-abiding and condemn

the attacks, and that Islam is really a religion of peace. Well, guess what? It's bull #######.

Anywhere from 30 to 50% of all Muslims support terrorist bombers.

If the so-called "moderate Muslims" wish to avoid being tarred with the same extremist

brush, perhaps they should stop supporting the terrorists? Or is it too much to ask?

They didn't poll Muslims in Europe, the U.S., or Africa. There's a billion of them on the planet, and they polled the ones in war zones. And support of suicide bombings tracks war (i.e. Palestine vs. Indonesia).

Plus 'often or sometimes justified'.... I think a lot can be swept under that question.

[mawilson 2,133]

How about the millions of Muslims that live in Africa, Europe and the USA?

I guess their views don't count

African Muslims don't count, they are just as bad; European and American Muslims

do count, and I'm sure that very few of them support suicide bombers.

[Zee Bee 61]

How about the millions of Muslims that live in Africa, Europe and the USA?

I guess their views don't count

African Muslims don't count, they are just as bad; European and American Muslims

do count, and I'm sure that very few of them support suicide bombers.

I beg to differ.

[almaty 19]

some of the finest people in Islam are from Africa brother MA. and they do count...as Egypt..Algeria and most of Africa except a few countries are moderate ...

[isleta521 5]

Perhaps the numbers are going down because believers in suicide bombings have already blown themselves up.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

they polled the ones in war zones. And support of suicide bombings tracks war

Bangladesh and Turkey are hardly "war zones".

Edited July 31, 2007 by VJ Troll

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Plus 'often or sometimes justified'.... I think a lot can be swept under that question.

Indeed. That is a very valid point.

How many people in this country would rule out suicide bombings as a means of attacking an enemy that can not be attacked by any other means?