Saturday, July 21, 2007
Statistics
The missus and I have an ongoing debate about the compatibility of Islam with the West. At its most nuanced and sophisticated, it usually boils down to her calling me a ranting Islamaphobe, and me pointing out that she simply hates freedom. So we spend a lot of time emailing articles back and forth that support our respective positions (mine = right, hers = ridiculous). In a fit of evenhandedness I was about to send her this article from the Guardian, just so she would have something to beat me with during a slow weekend, until I read this:
Now, this infers a whole lot of things. First is that the "Muslim countries" believe that the West was indeed attacked, and by Muslims. Second, the corollary is that 92% of Muslims condemn the attacks. Third is that the level of Muslim hatred for the west is determined by the level of support for the 9/11 attacks.
Needless to say, all of that is bullshit. I looked for this completely unattributed Gallup poll, and could not find the 8% statistic. I did, however, find this interesting poll from back in 2002 - a year before the Iraq invasion.
Again, this is prior to the Iraq war, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, etc. etc., which in my mind just makes it more clear that Muslim and Western opinion are based on two separate worlds - one of fact and one of ideology. And needless to say, once again the British media is simply spinning like a top, so this is one article that will remain steadfastly unmailed. Sorry, babe.
Gallup found there was as yet no blind hatred of the west in Muslim countries; only 8% of respondents condoned the 9/11 atrocities. But this could change if the extremists persuade the young that the west is bent on the destruction of their religion. When Gallup asked what the west could do to improve relations, most Muslims replied unhesitatingly that western countries must show greater respect for Islam, placing this ahead of economic aid and non-interference in their domestic affairs. Our inability to tolerate Islam not only contradicts our western values; it could also become a major security risk.
Now, this infers a whole lot of things. First is that the "Muslim countries" believe that the West was indeed attacked, and by Muslims. Second, the corollary is that 92% of Muslims condemn the attacks. Third is that the level of Muslim hatred for the west is determined by the level of support for the 9/11 attacks.
Needless to say, all of that is bullshit. I looked for this completely unattributed Gallup poll, and could not find the 8% statistic. I did, however, find this interesting poll from back in 2002 - a year before the Iraq invasion.
Gallup conducted in-person interviews during December and January of 9,924 residents in nine Muslim countries: Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Key findings:
Although U.S. officials say all 19 of the Sept. 11 hijackers were Arab men, only 18% of those polled in six Islamic countries say they believe Arabs carried out the attacks; 61% say Arabs were not responsible; and 21% say they don't know.
Just 9% say they think U.S. military action in Afghanistan is morally justified. The least supportive: people in Morocco, Indonesia and Pakistan.
Two-thirds say the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were morally unjustifiable, but significant minorities disagree. In Kuwait, which U.S. troops liberated from Iraq in 1991, 36% say the attacks were justifiable, the highest percentage of any country polled.
A slight majority, 53%, view the United States unfavorably. Residents in Pakistan — a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism — Iran and Saudi Arabia are the most negative.
Again, this is prior to the Iraq war, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, etc. etc., which in my mind just makes it more clear that Muslim and Western opinion are based on two separate worlds - one of fact and one of ideology. And needless to say, once again the British media is simply spinning like a top, so this is one article that will remain steadfastly unmailed. Sorry, babe.
