Posted on 02/27/2008 9:25:10 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A huge survey of the world's Muslims released Tuesday challenges Western notions that equate Islam with radicalism and violence.
The survey, conducted by the Gallup polling agency over six years and three continents, seeks to dispel the belief held by some in the West that Islam itself is the driving force of radicalism.
It shows that the overwhelming majority of Muslims condemned the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001 and other subsequent terrorist attacks, the authors of the study said in Washington.
"Samuel Harris said in the Washington Times (in 2004): 'It is time we admitted that we are not at war with terrorism. We are at war with Islam'," Dalia Mogahed, co-author of the book "Who Speaks for Islam" which grew out of the study, told a news conference here.
"The argument Mr Harris makes is that religion in the primary driver" of radicalism and violence, she said.
"Religion is an important part of life for the overwhelming majority of Muslims, and if it were indeed the driver for radicalisation, this would be a serious issue."
But the study, which Gallup says surveyed a sample equivalent to 90 percent of the world's Muslims, showed that widespread religiosity "does not translate into widespread support for terrorism," said Mogahed, director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies.
About 93 percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are moderates and only seven percent are politically radical, according to the poll, based on more than 50,000 interviews.
In majority Muslim countries, overwhelming majorities said religion was a very important part of their lives -- 99 percent in Indonesia, 98 percent in Egypt, 95 percent in Pakistan.
But only seven percent of the billion Muslims surveyed -- the radicals -- condoned the attacks on the United States in 2001, the poll showed.
Moderate Muslims interviewed for the poll condemned the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington because innocent lives were lost and civilians killed.
"Some actually cited religious justifications for why they were against 9/11, going as far as to quote from the Koran -- for example, the verse that says taking one innocent life is like killing all humanity," she said.
Meanwhile, radical Muslims gave political, not religious, reasons for condoning the attacks, the poll showed.
The survey shows radicals to be neither more religious than their moderate counterparts, nor products of abject poverty or refugee camps.
"The radicals are better educated, have better jobs, and are more hopeful with regard to the future than mainstream Muslims," John Esposito, who co-authored "Who Speaks for Islam", said.
"Ironically, they believe in democracy even more than many of the mainstream moderates do, but they're more cynical about whether they'll ever get it," said Esposito, a professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University in Washington.
Gallup launched the study following 9/11, after which US President George W. Bush asked in a speech, which is quoted in the book: "Why do they hate us?"
"They hate... a democratically elected government," Bush offered as a reason.
"They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other."
But the poll, which gives ordinary Muslims a voice in the global debate that they have been drawn into by 9/11, showed that most Muslims -- including radicals -- admire the West for its democracy, freedoms and technological prowess.
What they do not want is to have Western ways forced on them, it said.
"Muslims want self-determination, but not an American-imposed and -defined democracy. They don't want secularism or theocracy. What the majority wants is democracy with religious values," said Esposito.
The poll has given voice to Islam's silent majority, said Mogahed.
"A billion Muslims should be the ones that we look to, to understand what they believe, rather than a vocal minority," she told AFP.
Muslims in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East were interviewed for the survey, which is part of Gallup's World Poll that aims to interview 95 percent of the world's population.
If this isn’t all a bunch of BILLSHITE, then where is the Fatwa and Jihad against Osama Bin Laden and Radical Islam in the regular Islamic world?
It’s NOWHERE because by far, most of Islam agrees with the radicals and Osama Bin Laden as they abuse their wives and children.
They should all go rot and each be infested by the fleas of a thousand camels.
The culture, people and their beliefs are cumulatively ALL NO GOOD.
There is ZERO proof to the contrary.
Amazing that even intelligent, educated Muslims are incapable of seeing that Sharia Law and Democracy are mutually exclusive systems of government.
There’s the correct question to ask: Do you put Sharia law above the laws of democracy in this country? New poll results would be...100% yes.
“Amazing that even intelligent, educated Muslims are incapable of seeing that Sharia Law and Democracy are mutually exclusive systems of government.”
Right. All men are created equal excludes, fundamentally, the way Islam treats women vis-a-vis honor killings, rape laws, and temporary marriages. Those are just 3 silly little examples as well...
Read the damn koran; islam is evil at its core. Sure some muslims do not believe the koran but the koran instructs all muslims to lie to nonbelievers. Muslims violently reject discussion of the koran and leaving islam because the koran exposed is islam defeated.
NAME THREE!
Whenever one of these stupid polls comes out with a result that is completely ridiculous, whoever is behind it tells us that our “perceptions are being challenged.”
Just not out loud.
What a bunch of shiite...
Well geez....let me think.....where are the worlds problems happening right now is it in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East now? HHHhmmmmm....say it ain’t so. Let’s ask Baghdad Bob
A huge survey of the world's Muslims released Tuesday challenges Western notions that equate Islam with radicalism and violence.
About 93 percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are moderates and only seven percent are politically radical.
Where is the corresponding "huge survey" that defines the percentage of the worlds terrorists who are muslim?
I imagine that number would be more like 99.999%
This survey is obviously conducted and presented to put muslims in the best light and the best they can do is say that ONLY 91 MILLION muslims are radicals who would like to slaughter us!
What a relief!
To many of us it felt like it was 92 million!
Okay - assume that the 7% number is somewhat correct.
It only took 19 beserk muslims to slaughter almost 3,000 innocents on 9/11.
Just imagine what the full 91 million are capable of.
Funny that , almost every camel - diddler that I have ever met wants to settle in the UK , Canada , Oz , or the USA , leaving aside the fact they would rather cut off their thingies than integrate . I’ve never heard of any of them wanting to emigrate to an Islamic toilet ; The Sudan , Tchad , Somalia , and Bangladesh spring to mind .
So there you have it . They hate us but want our liberal laws tailor made to suit them . They say our societies are wicked and depraved but they invite themselves in at every oppurtunity .
I don’t think I will every be able to work them out .
The men like the goodies and to be still old fashioned to beat and cheat on their women and families.
Convert or die is still ingrained in them as well IMO.
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