What they think of us:
Pew Study:
Anti-American sentiment in most Muslim nations is profound. But the study revealed growing discontent, especially in the nations that know America best, over the United States' ideas of democracy, its business practices, its perceived unilateralism and policies that are seen as increasing the global gap between rich and poor.
"Relatively few Americans have any idea of how critically we are seen around the world and the ways we're criticized, and what we're criticized for," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew center, who delivered the report to the White House on Wednesday.
dawn.com
... solid majorities in Muslim countries see suicide bombings as a legitimate defense against what they perceive as a Western attack on their religion.
In Pakistan, a crucial ally in the war on terrorism, 81 percent of the public resents the spread of U.S. ideas and customs. In Jordan, 75 percent said they have an unfavorable opinion of America. In Egypt the figure was 69 percent; in Lebanon, 59 percent.
post-gazette.com
An especially worrisome finding in the Pew poll concerned attitudes to terrorism per se. When respondents in 14 countries were asked if they believed “suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets are justified to defend Islam from its enemies”, the following was the surprising result: 73 per cent in Lebanon said it was often or sometimes justified; 56 per cent in the Ivory Coast said the same, and more than 40 per cent in Bangladesh, Nigeria and Jordan concurred. More than 25 per cent said it was justified in Pakistan, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Uganda and Indonesia.
rsi.com.sg
two-thirds of Muslims held an unfavorable view of the United States (and called American culture “immoral and irreligious”), with respondents in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan the most anti-American. In addition, only 18 percent of those polled in six Islamic countries said they believed that Arabs carried out the September 11 attacks; 61 percent said that Arabs were not responsible; and 21 percent said they didn’t know.
terrorismanswers.com
More than two-thirds of British Muslims surveyed consider the war on terrorism a war against Islam, a poll conducted for the British Broadcasting Corp. showed Monday.
The ICM survey of 500 people also revealed that more than half of British Muslims believe Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network should not have been blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington.
44 percent said attacks by al-Qaida or similar groups are justified because Muslims are being killed by the United States or allies using American weapons.
quickstart.clari.net
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<respect us only if we stand up and CRUSH those who are trying to undo us>
You think AllStick and NoCarrot is going to work? A policy basely SOLELY on force and fear is the best strategy? The Israelis have been trying exactly that method, and are now enmeshed in an endless and unwinnable guerrilla war. That's where we're heading, slowly but surely, if we adopt their mindset and methods. A West Bank that stretches from Morrocco to Indonesia.
Most of the conditions for this already exist:
1. our soldiers are already in most of those counties
2. we can't withdraw, as that area holds a natural resource we can't do without
3. public opinion in that vast region is strongly against our WarOnTerrorism
If we don't win a HeartsAndMinds campaign, then the current pervasive "respect" for America (=fear we will do the crushing you advocate), will be replaced by a greater anger at America, and the anger will turn to action. |
