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Deja vu — Judith Apter Klinghoffer

Judith Apter Klinghoffer

POLL: US UNPOPULAR BUT WINNING WAR ON TERROR

Muslims Believe US Seeks to Undermine Islam Is the title given to the executive summary of the partially released results of a recent PIPA push poll in four Muslim countries conducted between December 06 and February. It is a push poll because a careful examination of the questionnaire reveals that the pollsters designed it to prove that the US is losing the War on Terror but ended up proving only that it is winning it, albeit in a most unpopular manner. Over 75% of Muslims in Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia and Afghanistan strongly oppose terror against both Muslims and Westerners.

Indeed, the vast majority believes that Islam opposes all attacks on civilians, that such attacks give Islam a bad name and that terrorism is a major problem in all their countries. Most of them also believe that 9/11 hurt the Muslim world. Rather than welcome a clash with the West (which half of them are not sure can be avoided), they would like to partake in global development and democratize. Significantly, much of the Muslim world strongly believes that Muslim originated terror has boomeranged. The same view is rather evident from recent cartoons culled from the Arab press:

To fully appreciate the extent of these positive results, one must realize that the questions were carefully designed to make terror as reasonable and morally acceptable as possible even when dealing with intra Muslim terror. The italics are mine.

1. Q10-F12: Here is a list of things that may or may not be a problem in [your country]. Please mark to what extent you perceive the issue to be a problem in [your country].
d. Terrorism
very important/important Egypt- 70% Indonesia-88% Morocco-13% Pakistan- 88%
Q11-F13: In [your country], how justified are attacks on civilians (e.g. bombings, assassinations) that are carried out in order to achieve political goals – strongly justified, justified, weakly justified, or not justified at all?
NOT AT ALL - Egypt-77% Indonesia- 84% Morocco- 57% Pakistan- 76%
Q12-F14: What about politically motivated attacks in [your Country] where no one is killed or injured (such as destroying a pipeline or bombing a radio transmitting tower)? Are these strongly justified, justified, weakly justified, or not justified at all?
NOT AT ALL Egypt-62% Indonesia 80% Morocco 56% Pakistan 72%
16 Q13-F15: In your opinion, are attacks against civilians, as a tactic in conflict: Often effective to change the situation, only sometimes effective to change the situation, or hardly ever effective to change the situation?
Often effective - Egypt-26% Indonesia 8% Morocco 6% Pakistan 3%

Questions on attitude to anti-Western terror came only after a series of questions on freedom of religion (most supportive) and attitudes towards the US. It turns out that 93% of Egyptian disapprove of the US government; 55% of the American people and 55% of the Culture. 66% of the Indonesian disapprove of the US government, 51% of the people and 79% of the culture. 71% of the Pakistanis disapprove of the US government, 62% of the people and 73% of the culture. The executive summary fails to mention this rather important finding. Why? Per chance because it proves the opposite of what the pollsters had hoped. They hoped to prove that US policy is to blame for Muslim anti-Americanism and ended up proving that Muslims disapprove of WHO we are and not of WHAT we do.

The rest of the poll is dedicated to fix in the polled mind just how terrible America is and reasonable Al Qaeda's goals are. Oh, yes. The title of the executive summary reflects Muslim agreement with one of a series of dastardly motives the questionnaire attribute to US policy. The contrast between the questions about the goals of Al Qaeda and the questions about the goals of the US could not be more pronounced. In the case of Al Qaeda, they echoes the goals Al Qaeda claims to be trying to achieve while questions relating to US policy focus on goals critics attribute to the US. There is no mention of Al Qaeda's advocacy of suicide bombings, design to spread Islam in the Western world and make it subject to the sharia, its opposition to democracy, its wish to undermine economic growth or even its efforts to overthrow current Muslim regimes.

On the other hand, not a single question asks about US advocacy for human right, democracy or economic development. Nor is there a mention of US enforcement of UN resolutions or attempts to prevent nuclear proliferation. Even the US fight against terror is made suspect. Note that the questions on Al Qaeda do not reveal similar skepticism. Even more tellingly, they follow a series of questions full of implied criticism of US policy. Here are the questions:

Q25-F26: Thinking now about U.S. actions around the world, please tell me if you think the following are or are not U.S. goals. Please say if you think it is: a. To spread Christianity in the Middle East [not permitted to ask in Egypt]
b. To prevent more attacks such as those on the World Trade Center in September 2001
c. To maintain control over the oil resources of the Middle East
d. To see the creation of an independent and economically viable Palestinian state
e. To expand the geographic borders of Israel
f. To ensure that [Survey Country] does not fall into the hands of extremist groups
g. To weaken and divide the Islamic world

Compare the above innuendos with the question on Al Qaeda. Would you be surprised to discover that many seem Muslims to agree with its goals :

Q26-F27: Thinking now about groups such as al-Qaeda and groups inspired by al-Qaeda that have conducted attacks on American and European civilians, please tell me if you think the following are or are not the goals of such groups. Please say if you think it is:
a. To require a strict application of Shari’a law in every Islamic country.
b. To unify all Islamic countries into a single Islamic state or Caliphate.
c. To push the US to stop providing support to such governments as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
d. To push the U.S. to remove its bases and its military forces from all Islamic countries. e. To stand up to America and affirm the dignity of the Islamic people.
f. To keep Western values out of Islamic countries.
g. To push the United States to stop favoring Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians.

Could it have been possible to place US policy in a worse light and Al Qaeda in a better one? In other words, we are in the presence of a classic push poll. For here comes the clincher:

Q27-F28: What do you personally feel about these goals? For each goal, please say whether you agree with it strongly, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat, or disagree strongly.
a. To require a strict application of Shari’a law in every Islamic country.
b. To unify all Islamic countries into a single Islamic state or Caliphate.
c. To push the US to stop providing support to such governments as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
d. To push the U.S. to remove its bases and its military forces from all Islamic countries.
e. To stand up to America and affirm the dignity of the Islamic people.
f. To keep Western values out of Islamic countries.
g. To push the United States to stop favoring Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians.

It is this underhanded questionnaire construction that got PIPA the conclusion it sought - Muslims agree with Al Qaeda's goals. How could they not? Al Qaeda is presented as a dedicated warrior for Muslim causes. It following such careful prepping that questions about terror abroad are posed and in hope of making the results as unsavory as possible they ask not only what the responder thinks but also what other do. Here goes:

Q31-F32: When you hear or read about an attack in which a Muslim blows himself up while attacking an enemy, do you think that this action is often justified, justified , sometimes, rarely, never:
Never - Egypt-28% Indonesia-68% Morocco 34% Pakistan 60%
Q32-F32a: What do you think most people in [your country] think when they hear or read about an attack in which a Muslim blows himself up while attacking an enemy? Do you think most people in [your country] would find such an attack as:
Often justified Egypt-29% Indonesia-2% Morocco-12% Pakistan-5%

Now come some truly disgusting questions about September 11.

Q34. As you know, on September 11, 2001 the United States was attacked. Do you feel very confident, somewhat confident, or not at all confident that you know who was behind the 9/11 attacks?
[If respondent says very confident (01) or somewhat confident (02):] Q34A:Q34B. Who do you think was behind the 9/11 attacks? [Accept open-ended responses and code according to list below.] (the list consists of Al Qaeda, US government, Israel and Iran)

Clearly, 9/11 denial is bound to follow in the footsteps of holocaust denial. It was following many more detailed questions about Al Qaeda, Bin Laden and funding of groups that attack that the pollsters finally asked about anti Western attacks. They approved of attacks on US forces stationed on Muslim territories be it in Iraq, Afghanistan (same) or the Gulf states. They strongly disapproved of attacks against Western civilians both in Muslim countries and elsewhere.

All in all, the glass is 3/4 full. Yes, theoretically, Muslims would like to see a day when they will united within the border of a righteous Khalifat but they disagree with Al Qaeda and Bin Laden means and are unwilling to pay the high price needed to achieve it. As it was the American led War on Terror which raised that price, it is a small wonder America is not popular in the Muslim world. I am sure the US was not popular in Germany during W.W.II. or in the USSR during the Cold war. Trying to be popular with the enemy is a strange idea anyhow. Actually, as we have learned with victory comes even a very short lived boost of popularity. All in all, PIPA push poll contains encouraging news. Just as importantly, the results are similar to recent polls in Britain. The vast majority of Muslims no longer believe that terror is cool. Hallelujah.

Posted on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at 5:21 PM | Comments (1) | Return

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