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Al-Qaeda sinking in the polls
By Karen Hughes The recent video reappearance of Osama bin Laden is a stark reminder that murderous extremists continue to threaten innocent people worldwide. His emergence - after three years of hiding - also provides an opportunity to reevaluate bin Laden's standing in majority-Muslim countries. Several reputable polls show that bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network have suffered a dramatic decline in approval among Muslims since the September 11 terrorist attacks. Polling in Afghanistan and Iraq, for example, reveal that more than 90 percent of those populations have unfavorable views of AI-Qaeda and of bin Laden himself. This astonishingly high rate of disfavor no doubt reflects the horrible violence that these two populations have suffered at the hands of bin-Laden and his network of killers. Just two years ago in Turkey, polls showed that 90 percent of citizens there believe that the Al-Qaeda bombings in London, Istanbul, Madrid and Egypt were unjust; 86 percent thought that there was no excuse for condoning the September 11 attacks; and 75 percent said bin Laden does not represent Muslims. Another study shows that since 2002 support for terrorist tactics has fallen - often dramatically - in seven of eight predominantly Muslim countries that were polled as part of the Pew Global Attitudes Project (www.pewglobal.org). Five years ago in Lebanon, 74 percent of the population agreed that suicide bombing could sometimes be justified. Today, only 34 percent hold that view - still too high, but a stark reversal nonetheless. Similar declines in support have also occurred in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indo nesia and Jordan. Equally significant, Muslims the world over are openly rejecting bin Laden's attempts to pervert their faith. WorldPublicOpinion.org (www.worldpublicopinion.org) found in April that large majorities in Egypt (88 percent), Indonesia (65 percent) and Morocco (66 percent) agree that groups such as Al-Qaeda violate the principles of Islam. These shifts in attitude are beginning to show up in actions. Sunni leaders in Iraq's Anbar Province are working with coalition forces against Al-Qaeda because they say the terrorists bring only chaos, "Killing people, stealing. . . , everything, you name it," as one local leader commented. Osama bin Laden's recent tape was a reminder that he and his network offer only destruction and death. Their attacks on mosques, shrines and even wedding celebrations confirm that they care nothing about innocent Muslims. As one woman in Algeria put it, "They are criminals who want to sabotage the country." That is a message bin Laden will not convey on tape, but one that his actions make clear. Six years after September 11, good and decent people of many faiths and cultures are increasingly rejecting his brutal methods. Posted by: Fred 2007-09-20 |
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