Recently I've been asked, with some rapidity, as to why we have not heard much from moderate Muslim voices. If you think about how the awareness of Muslim culture and the Islamic religion has grown in the Western world over the past six years, it is surprising, at least to me, how the majority of "information" focuses on the negative side.
I know that Iraq had a significant middle class before the war. I remember that when the Shah was in power in Iran that they, too, had a significant educated workforce. So, why are we not hearing what the "regular" people think about atrocities like homicide bombers. I just can't bring myself to call it "suicide bombing".
As Sting said in his song ... "at least the Russians love their children more than they hate us." Could it be that a bitter taste in the Muslim world, going back a thousand years to the crusades, has resulted in their hating us more than they love their children?
The Pew Charitable Trust gives us some insight, and in my opinion, some hope that maybe there is a chance to alter a course toward further hatred. Over the past five years there has been as sharp decline in support for "suicide bombing" in Muslim countries. Pew's work shows that in 5 of the eight Muslim countries where trends are available that there has been a significant drop in support of such activity. For example, Lebanon had 74% of people in their country say that suicide bombing was often or sometimes justified in 2002. Today, in 2007, only 34% of people supported that point of view. For seven of the eight Muslim countries the trend was the same.
Suicide Bombing Often / Sometimes Justified |
||||
2002 |
2007 |
|||
| Lebanon | 74% |
34% |
||
| Bangladesh | 44% |
20% |
||
| Pakistan | 33% |
9% |
||
| Jordon | 43% |
23% |
||
| Indonesia | 26% |
10% |
||
| Tanzania | 18% |
11% |
||
| Nigeria | 47% |
42% |
||
| Turkey | 13% |
16% |
||
Several new Muslim nations were added to the survey in 2007. The largest "trouble spot" is the Pakistani territories. Unfortunately, 70% of those surveyed felt that suicide bombings were justified.
Another sign of moderation is the falling support for bin Laden in Jordan. Four years ago 56% of Jordanians had confidence that he would do the right things in world affairs. Today that support has dropped to 20%.
Maybe there can be a real change to a more peaceful solution. Maybe the voice of moderation will return to the world. I sure hope so.
Have an inspiring month.
W2
MIDDLE EAST - GREGNAPLES 10/5/2007 3:12:22 PM DST (GMT-4)
I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT.
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