The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other?
Written by Haitham Sabbah on 23. June 2006, 1948hrs // Part of Haitham Sabbah's adventure in Arab, Islam, Middle East, Opinion, Politics, Religion // Other posts by Haitham Sabbah
A MUST READ!
Here is the summery of latest featured report by The Pew Global Attitudes Project. The report answers the question: “How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other.” [Hat tip: Robin]
You can download the full report from here (PDF)!
Introduction and Summary
After a year marked by riots over cartoon portrayals of Muhammad, a major terrorist attack in London, and continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, most Muslims and Westerners are convinced that relations between them are generally bad these days. Many in the West see Muslims as fanatical, violent, and as lacking tolerance. Meanwhile, Muslims in the Middle East and Asia generally see Westerners as selfish, immoral and greedy - as well as violent and fanatical.
A rare point of agreement between Westerners and Muslims is that both believe that Muslim nations should be more economically prosperous than they are today. But they gauge the problem quite differently. Muslim publics have an aggrieved view of the West - they are much more likely than Americans or Western Europeans to blame Western policies for their own lack of prosperity. For their part, Western publics instead point to government corruption, lack of education and Islamic fundamentalism as the biggest obstacles to Muslim prosperity.
Nothing highlights the divide between Muslims and the West more clearly than their responses to the uproar this past winter over cartoon depictions of Muhammad. Most people in Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and Turkey blame the controversy on Western nations’ disrespect for the Islamic religion. In contrast, majorities of Americans and Western Europeans who have heard of the controversy say Muslims’ intolerance to different points of view is more to blame.
The chasm between Muslims and the West is also seen in judgments about how the other civilization treats women. Western publics, by lopsided margins, do not think of Muslims as “respectful of women.” But half or more in four of the five Muslim publics surveyed say the same thing about people in the West.
Yet despite the deep attitudinal divide between Western and Muslim publics, the latest Pew Global Attitudes survey also finds that the views of each toward the other are far from uniformly negative. For example, even in the wake of the tumultuous events of the past year, solid majorities in France, Great Britain and the U.S. retain overall favorable opinions of Muslims. However, positive opinions of Muslims have declined sharply in Spain over the past year (from 46% to 29%), and more modestly in Great Britain (from 72% to 63%).
For the most part, Muslim publics feel more embittered toward the West and its people than vice versa. Muslim opinions about the West and its people have worsened over the past year and by overwhelming margins, Muslims blame Westerners for the strained relationship between the two sides. But there are some positive indicators as well, including the fact that in most Muslim countries surveyed there has been a decline in support for terrorism.
The survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project was conducted in 13 countries, including the United States, from March 31-May 14, 2006. It includes special oversamples of Muslim minorities living in Great Britain, France, Germany and Spain. In many ways, the views of Europe’s Muslims represent a middle ground between the way Western publics and Muslims in the Middle East and Asia view each other.
While Europe’s Muslim minorities are about as likely as Muslims elsewhere to see relations between Westerners and Muslims as generally bad, they more often associate positive attributes to Westerners - including tolerance, generosity, and respect for women. And in a number of respects Muslims in Europe are less inclined to see a clash of civilizations than are some of the general publics surveyed in Europe. Notably, they are less likely than non-Muslims in Europe to believe that there is a conflict between modernity and being a devout Muslim.
Solid majorities of the general publics in Germany and Spain say that there is a natural conflict between being a devout Muslim and living in a modern society. But most Muslims in both of those countries disagree. And in France, the scene of recent riots in heavily Muslim areas, large percentages of both the general public and the Muslim minority population feel there is no conflict in being a devout Muslim and living in a modern society.
The survey shows both hopeful and troubling signs with respect to Muslim support for terrorism and the viability of democracy in Muslim countries. In Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia, there have been substantial declines in the percentages saying suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilian targets can be justified to defend Islam against its enemies. The shift has been especially dramatic in Jordan, likely in response to the devastating terrorist attack in Amman last year; 29% of Jordanians view suicide attacks as often or sometimes justified, down from 57% in May 2005.
Confidence in Osama bin Laden also has fallen in most Muslim countries in recent years. This is especially the case in Jordan, where just 24% express at least some confidence in bin Laden now, compared with 60% a year ago. A sizable number of Pakistanis (38%) continue to say they have at least some confidence in the al Qaeda leader to do the right thing regarding world affairs, but significantly fewer do so now than in May 2005 (51%). However, Nigeria’s Muslims represent a conspicuous exception to this trend; 61% of Nigeria’s Muslims say they have at least some confidence in bin Laden, up from 44% in 2003.
The belief that terrorism is justifiable in the defense of Islam, while less extensive than in previous surveys, still has a sizable number of adherents. Among Nigeria’s Muslim population, for instance, nearly half (46%) feel that suicide bombings can be justified often or sometimes in the defense of Islam. Even among Europe’s Muslim minorities, roughly one-in-seven in France, Spain, and Great Britain feel that suicide bombings against civilian targets can at least sometimes be justified to defend Islam against its enemies.
Anti-Jewish sentiment remains overwhelming in predominantly Muslim countries. There also is considerable support for the Hamas Party, which recently was victorious in the Palestinian elections. Majorities in most Muslim countries say that the Hamas Party’s victory will be helpful to a fair settlement between Israel and the Palestinians - a view that is roundly rejected by Western publics (see “America’s Image Slips, But Allies Share U.S. Concerns over Iran, Hamas,” June 13, 2006).
In one of the survey’s most striking findings, majorities in Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan say that they do not believe groups of Arabs carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The percentage of Turks expressing disbelief that Arabs carried out the 9/11 attacks has increased from 43% in a 2002 Gallup survey to 59% currently. And this attitude is not limited to Muslims in predominantly Muslim countries - 56% of British Muslims say they do not believe Arabs carried out the terror attacks against the U.S., compared with just 17% who do.
But Muslim opinion on most issues is not monolithic, and there are some apparent anomalies in Muslims’ views of the West and its people. While large percentages in nearly every Muslim country attribute several negative traits to Westerners - including violence, immorality and selfishness - solid majorities in Indonesia, Jordan and Nigeria express favorable opinions of Christians.
Moreover, there is enduring belief in democracy among Muslim publics, which contrasts sharply with the skepticism many Westerners express about whether democracy can take root in the Muslim world. Pluralities or majorities in every Muslim country surveyed say that democracy is not just for the West and can work in their countries. But Western publics are divided - majorities in Germany and Spain say democracy is a Western way of doing things that would not work in most Muslim countries. Most of the French and British, and about half of Americans, say democracy can work in Muslim countries.
Overall, the Germans and Spanish express much more negative views of both Muslims and Arabs than do the French, British or Americans. Just 36% in Germany, and 29% in Spain, express favorable opinions of Muslims; comparable numbers in the two countries have positive impressions of Arabs (39% and 33%, respectively). In France, Great Britain and the U.S., solid majorities say they have favorable opinions of Muslims, and about the same numbers have positive views of Arabs.
These differences are reflected as well in opinions about negative traits associated with Muslims. Roughly eight-in-ten Spanish (83%) and Germans (78%) say they associate Muslims with being fanatical. But that view is less prevalent in France (50%), Great Britain (48%) and the U.S. (43%).
In many ways, the views of Europe’s Muslims are distinct from those of both Western publics and Muslims in the Middle East and Asia. Most European Muslims express favorable opinions of Christians, and while their views of Jews are less positive than those of Western publics, they are far more positive than those of Muslim publics. And in France, a large majority of Muslims (71%) say they have favorable opinions of Jews.
Moreover, while publics in largely Muslim countries generally view Westerners as violent and immoral, this view is not nearly as prevalent among Muslims in France, Spain and Germany. British Muslims however, are the most critical of the four minority publics studied - and they come closer to views of Muslims around the world in their opinions of Westerners.
Other Major Findings
- Concerns over Islamic extremism are widely shared in Western publics and Muslim publics alike. But an exception is China, where 59% express little or no concern over Islamic extremism.
- Muslims differ over whether there is a struggle in their country between Islamic fundamentalists and groups wanting to modernize society. But solid majorities of those who perceive such a struggle side with the modernizers.
- Fully 41% of the general public in Spain says most or many Muslims in their country support Islamic extremists. But just 12% of Spain’s Muslims say most or many of the country’s Muslims support extremists like al Qaeda.
- Nearly four-in-ten Germans (37%), and 29% of Americans, say there is a natural conflict between being a devout Christian and living in a modern society.
Navigate this report:
I. Muslims and the West - How Each Sees The Other
II. The Rift Between Muslims and the West: Causes and Consequences
III. Islam, Modernity and Terrorism
Voices from Countries
Methodological Appendix
Country Profiles
Questionnaire
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June 23rd, 2006 at 6:16 pm
summery of latest featured report by The Pew Global Attitudes Project. The report answers the question: ?How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other.? [Hat tip: Robin] You can download the full report from here (PDF)! Introduction and SummaryRead the rest
June 23rd, 2006 at 9:40 pm
The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other? From Sabbah’s Blog. Posted in Politics June 23rd, 2006 |
June 24th, 2006 at 6:10 am
The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other? On June 23rd, 2006, from Sabbah’s Blog
June 24th, 2006 at 6:40 am
The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other?
[...]A MUST READ!
Here is the summery of latest featured report by The Pew Global Attitudes Project. The report answers the question: “How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other.”[...]
June 24th, 2006 at 10:12 am
I think its ridiculous how Westerners look at Muslims. Even if we were to bow down and kiss their legs (and I am SURE that some Arab leaders have not refrained themselves from committing such actions), they will still hate Arabs. It’s their closed-mindedness (not all of course), but most just will not bother to spare some time to learn about TRUE Islam - not the false, “terrorist-like” Islam that Western media always portrays. Patience is what we need and good da’wah I guess. Nice article by the way.
June 24th, 2006 at 7:22 pm
Dear blah,
With all due respect, I think you might have ignored or at least failed to mention the negative attitudes of Muslims against Westerners shown in the chart above. In the case of arrogance and violence, Muslim negative attitudes towards the west outweigh the negative attitudes of the West towards Muslims. Having been married to an Arab/Moslem myself and being educated to “just why they hate us” I am fully aware of the reasons for this negative attitude towards the West. But beyond the specific reasons for distrust or negative attitudes attached to certain events (9/11, Israel-Palestine, Iraq etc), a general distrust by a large percentage of both parties exists towards the other.
Where this general distrust and negativity meets in a very personal way for me is in my own bi-cultural daughter. If she can be seen as a cup readdy to be filled by both heritages, it COULD be overflowing with negative feelings from both sides. It is NOT an easy job to raise a child in this case to grow up with entirely positive feelings for both. Instead, you have to constantly fight off the outside influences heard from both sides and make the very personal choice to put aside and NEVER entertain the bigotry. And even then, just when you think everyone around you thinks this bi-cultutal arrangement is beautiful, someone speaks up with a doozy against the other party. What do you do as a parent when this happens? You recognize it, feel understanding for the afflicted party and continue on your own quest to make this work out of sheer love for eachother and your child. Even in divorce, such as is my case, this IS doable and is so MUCH more rewarding than resorting the choice of general distrust.
There are SO MANY cases of personal friendships and diplomatic relations between the two parties. These are people who have been “exposed” to each other and are open to the prospect from the get-go to learning from eachother. The closed-mindedness exists on BOTH sides and often it is very difficult to admit that your own “party” is also perpetuating this dilema. But neither side can ignore their own culpability in this affair when it comes down to a personal level. I have turned away from friends myself who have made racist statements against Arabs/Moslems, particularly since 9/11 when these feelings spiked. At all times when there is an opportunity for a meeting, BOTH sides must be willing to reach out their hands in hospitality. I almost ALWAYS received this as an American living in the Middle East. Now that I have lived here for the last 25 years I have continued to share my positive experience with those who are interested. But it is also up to Moslems in the Middle East to stop saying “not all of them” of course. It is a hurtful situation felt here by those who have never even been given the opportunity to meet an Arab or Muslim. Yes, INDEED, many Americans have no desire to do this. But rather than emphasizing the negative results of this study, it is up to us all, on both sides to seize any opportunity we have to disspell the misunderstanding. This glass of distrust is NOT full for each of the parties, rather there is still hope to empty that poisonous mixture and replace it with a more palatable drink that each could share in union with each other.
June 24th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Robin, thanks for your reply. I do agree with every word you said. However, I just want to mention that the negative feelings of Muslims towards Westerners don’t just come out of thin air. Muslims would never resort to violence as Islam condemns any sort of violence. Would the Palestinians have any problem with the Israeli’s if they had not barged into our land (ahem, a Palestinian speaking here =) )? Would the Iraqi people have turned to suicide bombings if the American soldiers had ever invaded their land. We Muslim people just want human rights like everybody else. We want live a happy and peaceful life just like the rest of the world, but when somebody invades our land, and tries to harm us, we’re not just going to sit down, let them take away everything we have, and keep quiet. We are going to fight for our liberty and justice, whether it has to be through violence or non-violence. Sorry I had to be so rough =). I wish you the best!
June 24th, 2006 at 9:08 pm
Robin, thanks for your reply. I do agree with every word you said. However, I just want to mention that the negative feelings of Muslims towards Westerners don’t just come out of thin air. Muslims would never resort to violence as Islam condemns any sort of violence. Would the Palestinians have any problem with the Israeli’s if they had not barged into our land (ahem, a Palestinian speaking here =) )? Would the Iraqi people have turned to suicide bombings if the American soldiers had ever invaded their land. We Muslim people just want human rights like everybody else. We want live a happy and peaceful life just like the rest of the world, but when somebody invades our land, and tries to harm us, we’re not just going to sit down, let them take away everything we have, and keep quiet. We are going to fight for our liberty and justice, whether it has to be through violence or non-violence. Sorry I had to be so rough =). I wish you the best!
June 24th, 2006 at 10:06 pm
Ces statistiques biensur sont journalistique..mais l’origine du terrorisme viens des usa et isra?ces deux etats trouvent leur bonheur qu’a travers les probl?s .ils aiment pas un monde stable.Les USA cr?des terroristes,pour vendre leurs armes..et occup?e monde,puis on fait oubli?ux peoples le probl? palestinien , disant que le probl? est ailleurs!!
June 24th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
blah, you’ve proven the point of the report. Good job.
June 25th, 2006 at 2:10 am
blah,
I do not think you have proven anything about the distrust at all. It just exists, simple, it exists. I have never personally experienced anything directed directly at me in all of the 31 years I have been closely associated with Muslims and Arabs. On the contrary, I have received love and acceptance. But it also must be understood that I know as a fact from hearing it with my own ears the generalized hatred of the West. Also, PLEASE do not get me wrong that I am unaware of the reasons given. But on a personal level when I meet someone new without a personal introduction, I feel like a little kid in class raising her hand and saying “I’m not like that, honest I’m not!!” Also PLEASE do not get me wrong and think that I am ignoring the bigotry here. It is ALL AROUND and it makes me PUKE. But, once again, if people hear from me personally that these misconceptions about Arabs and Muslims are untrue, or better yet take the chance to find out for themselves, then it is an opportunity to erase some of the misunderstandings. I truly believe that each and every one of us on both sides of this divide have to take responsibilty for our own attitudes and ask ourselves, “Is this justified to blanketly distrust the other when we ourselves have no stake other than to perpetuate mistrust?” We also need to take every opportunity as individuals to address the bigotry of our own parties. If my country does an egregious act against an Arab/Muslim country, then I NEED to speak up. When acts of terrorism against the West are committed by AlQuada, Moslems and Arabs NEED to speak up (yes I know they do but there is also the cheering and support as witnessed in the above report which does NOT play well as a public relations campaigne). My bottom line is this, there is ENOUGH ill will towards the other to fill up too many cups, and as individuals we need to take every chance we can to rectify the problem.
June 25th, 2006 at 4:02 am
Statistic are like bikinis.
What they reveal is suggestive.
What they hide is vital.
Think about it!
June 25th, 2006 at 4:10 am
Just to distract everyone. Visit this site. Pictures from, about and from earth about space.
God knows we need an escape.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
June 25th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
eine aktuelle Studie zum Verh?nis von Muslimen und der westlichen Welt hin. Das Original mit der Langfassung ist hier zu finden. In der Studie werden gezielt auch die Stimmungen in vier europ?chen L?ern - Deutschland, Spanien, Frankreich und Gro?ritannien - aufgef?!–%kramer-post%–>
June 26th, 2006 at 1:45 am
[...] de terreurleider. Een jaar terug was dat nog 60%. Bron: Telegraaf/ Fok On Sabbah’s Blog an extensive [...]
June 26th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
Here is an interesting article written in yesterday’s LA Times by Joel Stein, a Jewish journalist well-known here in the US. The title of the article is “Meet Islam’s Ann Coulter, Wafa Sultan’s Misleading Tirades Are Cause For Concern” It’s about her appearance at a fund-raiser by a Jewish organization that seeks to counteract anti-Israeli disinformation. With friends like Wafa, who needs enemies. The article goes on to discuss a progressive organization of Jews, Muslims and Christians here in LA. “Different” is all I can offer as my own opinion. The audience is strictly for Americans by this group.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-stein25jun25,1,7803731.story
June 28th, 2006 at 6:41 am
Sabbah, how do you square all of this Muslim desire for peace and understanding with the West with the school books in many Arab countries that describe Jews and Christians as “pigs and monkeys”. There are numerous references on the Internet that documents this and many other such statements in Arab text books for even small Muslim children. No where in the West do you find such reprehensible slander against Muslims in school texts. This may go a long way to explaining why Westerners have such a higher regard for Muslims than Muslims have for Westerners.
June 28th, 2006 at 6:48 am
One other thing I find really disturbing about this survey is the number of Muslims that believe that Muslims were not responsible for 9/11. It’s probably a good thing that many Westerners don’t pay too close attention to these sorts of news items. This really makes the majority of the Muslim street look like paranoid and delusional conspiracy kooks.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:04 am
Last observation. If the people of the West are so morally bankrupt and their culture so depraved, why do so many Muslims want to immigrate to Western countries? Oddly enough, Muslims in the US earn quite a bit more on average than native born citizens. Go figure. You would think that if us infidels had it out for Muslims, that would not be the case.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:39 am
So why should I respect Muslims when they cannot be honest about their religion? The Quran is full of hate and anger towards non-Muslims and the hadiths tell us that MOhammud did many evil, vile things. Don’t Muslims even read their own writings?
How can anybody say “Islam condemns any sort of violence” (as above) if one has even a elementary knowledge of Islam. Muslims are in denial about their religion and their dear pro[phet and there is absolutely nothing we can do to change this. Believe me, I have tried. I have pointed out the many passages in the Quran promoting hate towards kaffir. I have given references and direct links to Islamic sites with the the full text of “strong” hadiths that tell of Mohammad making unprovoked attacks on caravans and villages, of rape and torture, enslavement and executions, and even of Mohammad beating his favorite wife (unless “he hit me and caused me pain” means something else). Not once did any Muslim acknowledge these facts from their own writings. Words mean nothing. It is hopeless. Muslims are either dishonest or in denial.
Things will get worse.
John Kactuz
June 29th, 2006 at 5:30 am
My personal view,
I am a non-believer and I really enjoy reading this post.
I read both views and follow them. I have noticed a direction of comments discrediting both religions.
Why is Islam attacking Infidells?
Why are Christians attacking Muslims.
I find this very funny because both of your books say basically the same thing.
Read your books. Understand what is written.
We all share this world. Let us live together!
Don’t judge, accept your fellow man (woman).
If we don’t we won’t survive!