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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: frankw1900 who wrote (34965)	3/16/2004 10:09:11 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 793917

Thanks, frank. I heard some discussion of this poll on NPR, where they discussed the various views of Christians and Muslims, and of views of Jews by Europeans, but did NOT mention the 80% - 90%+ unfavorable ratings of Jews in Morocco and Pakistan (they weren't allowed to ask the question in Jordan. It would have been a brave person in Jordan who expressed a favorable opinion of Jews). I thought the omission telling. Don't let's mention the elephant in the living room. In looking at the questions on suicide bombing, as I suspected, "resentment" is nowhere in the question. Suicide bombing is introduced with a positive coloration by being referred to as a potential defense of Islam, as the Islamists refer to it: "Q.13 Some people think that suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets are justified in order to defend Islam from its enemies. Other people believe that, no matter what the reason, this kind of violence is never justified. Do you personally feel that this kind of violence is often justified to defend Islam, sometimes justified, rarely justified, or never justified?" When the followup question was asked, "What about suicide bombing carried out by Palestinians against Israeli citizens. Do you personally believe that this is justifiable or not justifiable?" 86% of Jordanians said it was justifiable. That's a higher rate than in the West Bank. So the poll is, after all, raising Islamist arguments and testing support for them, the rightness of suicide bombing being one of the chief Islamist arguments. Though it never tests the deeper rationale by asking WHY suicide bombing is justifiable, whether because it's the only way to defend Islam, or it's glorious in itself, or infidels just deserve to die.