Americans More Likely than Muslims to Support Attacks on Civilians? Nah!

Another blog referenced a survey that supposedly proves that Americans are more likely to support violent actions against civilians than people in Muslim countries. I questioned this “survey,” and I completely disagree with how the other blogger [mis]used that article.

The article states:

“…only 46 percent of Americans think that “bombing and other attacks intentionally aimed at civilians” are “never justified,” while 24 percent believe these attacks are “often or sometimes justified.”

The statistics from some of the citizens overseas:

“Contrast those numbers with 2006 polling results from the world’s most-populous Muslim countries – Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Terror Free Tomorrow, the organization I lead, found that 74 percent of respondents in Indonesia agreed that terrorist attacks are ‘never justified’; in Pakistan, that figure was 86 percent; in Bangladesh, 81 percent.”

The numbers are the same! Roughly 20%-25% (100% – 80%) in foreign countries believe that civilian attacks are “often or sometimes justified,” while for Americans the statistic is 24%. And strangely enough, the article never stated why the survey is missing another 30% for the U.S. (46% + 24% = 70%). How did the other 30% vote?

The main purpose of the article was to demonstrate how political isolationism is a better policy than the use of missile and wars. That point I will agree with: humanitarian acts and better foreign policy will go a long way of deterring terrorist sympathizers and ultimately weakening their organizations.

Not all Muslims support Bin Laden; that was the main goal of the survey and article.

Opinion

~ by ih8reality on March 3, 2007.