~~~~~~~NOTE how *totally different* the facts are from the views of the
US's hateful and freaky right wing warmongering propagandists~~~~~~~~

What do a billion Muslims really think?

The Gallup Poll of the Muslim World is the most comprehensive study ever
done of this group. Many key results counter conventional wisdom.

The Christian Science Monitor, May 16, 2008
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0517/p12s01-wogi.html

Since the momentous events of Sept. 11, 2001, countless news stories, TV
commentaries, and books have speculated on the causes of terrorism, the
attitudes of Muslims, and a purported clash of civilizations between
Islamic societies and the West.

What has not been available is any reliable measure of the viewpoints of
ordinary Muslims, who constitute 20 percent of the global population.

That is no longer the case. Through an ambitious six-year project that
involved hour-long, face-to-face interviews with residents in nearly 40
nations, Gallup has plumbed the perspectives of Muslim men and women –
urban and rural, educated and illiterate, young and old.

The Gallup Poll of the Muslim World surveyed a representative sample of
90 percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, the most comprehensive
study ever done. The findings are explored in the new book "Who Speaks
for Islam?" by John Esposito, Islamic studies professor at Georgetown
University; and Dalia Mogahed, executive director of the Gallup Center
for Muslim Studies in Washington.

Here are some of the key results, which frequently counter conventional
wisdom:

Is Islam compatible with democracy?

•Large majorities cite the equal importance of democracy and Islam to
the quality of life and progress of the Muslim world. They see no
contradiction between democratic values and religious principles.

•Political freedoms are among the things they admire most about the West.

•Substantial majorities in nearly all nations say that if drafting a new
constitution, they would guarantee freedom of speech (see chart, below).

•Most want neither theocracy nor secular democracy but a third model in
which religious principles and democratic values coexist. They want
their own democratic model that draws on Islamic law as a source.

•Significant majorities say religious leaders should play no direct role
in drafting a constitution, writing legislation, determining foreign
policy, or deciding how women dress in public.

SEE CHART: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0517/csmimg/A1BILLION_G1.gif

How do Muslims view women's rights?

•Majorities in most countries believe that women should have the same
legal rights as men: They should have the right to vote, to hold any job
outside the home that they qualify for, and to hold leadership positions
at the cabinet and national council levels (see chart, below).

•Majorities of men in virtually every country (including 62 percent in
Saudi Arabia, 73 percent in Iran, and 81 percent in Indonesia) agree
that women should be able to work at any job they qualify for.

•In Saudi Arabia, where women cannot vote, 58 percent of men say women
should be able to vote.

•While Muslim women favor gender parity, they do not endorse wholesale
adoption of Western values.

What makes a radical?

Various studies of Muslim terrorists show that most are not graduates of
madrassahs but of private or public schools and universities; most are
from middle- and working-class backgrounds; some are devout and others
are not. This survey confirms these findings:

•Among the Muslims surveyed, 7 percent condoned the 9/11 attacks. The
study terms these the "politically radicalized."

•When asked why they supported the attacks, the radicals gave political
rather than religious reasons. They have a sense of political
frustration and feel humiliated and threatened by the West. Those who
opposed the attacks often gave religious reasons for doing so.

•The radicals, on average, are not the down-and-out people in society.
They are more educated than moderates, and two-thirds of radicals have
average or above-average income. Forty-seven percent supervise others at
work. They are more optimistic about their own lives than are moderates
(52 percent to 45 percent).

•Radicals are no more religious than the general population and do not
attend mosque more frequently.

•What distinguishes them is not their perception of Western culture or
freedoms, but their perception of US policies. Even radicals say they
support democracy. But 63 percent of radicals do not believe that the
United States will allow people in the region to fashion their own
political future without direct US influence.

How do Muslims view the West?

•When asked what they most admire about the West, Muslims pointed to (1)
technology, (2) a value system of hard work, self-responsibility, rule
of law, and cooperation, and (3) fair political systems, with respect
for human rights, democracy, and gender equality.

•What they dislike the most about the West includes: denigration of
Islam and Muslims, promiscuity, and ethical and moral corruption.

•What they admire least about their own Muslim societies includes: lack
of unity, economic and political corruption, and extremism.

•Most Muslims agree on what the West should do first to improve
relations: demonstrate more respect, show more understanding of Islam as
a religion, and not denigrate what it stands for. The issues that drive
radicals are also important to mainstream Muslims, but they differ in
their priorities and the degree of politicization and alienation.
Moderate Muslims next hope for Western policies that support economic
development. Radicals are more focused on the West discriminating less
against Muslims and refraining from interference in the internal affairs
of Muslim countries.

•As for the actions that Muslims themselves could take to improve
relations, those surveyed recommended: respect the West's optimism and
values of freedom of speech and religion, reduce and control extremism
and terrorism, and "modernize."