Losing Muslim hearts and minds
Why the White House should worry about a new poll suggesting that even allied Muslim countries believe the U.S. wants to weaken and divide the Islamic world.
EDITORIAL
The Los Angeles Times: April 25, 2007
IT HAS BEEN a long and bloody spring in Iraq and Afghanistan, but on the battlefield of ideas, the news is even less encouraging. A survey released Tuesday by WorldPublic-Opinion.org suggests that the struggle for Muslim hearts and minds may already be lost.
Overwhelming majorities of those surveyed in Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan and Indonesia say they believe that the U.S. seeks to "weaken and divide the Islamic world" and to "achieve political and military domination to control Middle East resources." Most say they think that Al Qaeda defends the dignity of Muslims by standing up to the U.S., and most share the terrorist organization's goal of evicting the U.S. military from the Mideast.
More alarming is the support among citizens of allied countries for attacking U.S. troops in Iraq. That includes 91% of those polled in Egypt, 68% in Morocco, 35% in Pakistan and 19% in Indonesia. Approval rates for attacks on U.S. troops based in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf states were almost as high. (The polling was conducted between December and February, with support from the University of Maryland.)
These numbers should be memorized by members of Congress and President Bush as they gird this week for the latest battle over Iraq war funding and timetables for troop withdrawal. One of the administration's key rationales for deploying troops longer than the Democratic Congress wishes is to prevent Iraq from becoming an Al Qaeda beachhead. To the extent that the U.S. presence in the Middle East increases support for Al Qaeda, as the poll suggests, will prolonging the American military mission be counterproductive to the broader struggle against radical Islamic fanaticism and terror?
The pollsters found two rays of hope relevant to Washington strategists. First, large majorities of the Muslims polled strongly disapprove of attacks on U.S. civilians. Second, probably due to the carnage that he has inflicted on fellow Muslims, Osama Bin Laden's ratings are falling. In Jordan, for example, 60% expressed confidence in Bin Laden in 2005, but after the Al Qaeda suicide bombing of a Jordanian wedding party, confidence fell to 34% in 2006, according to pollster Steven Kull. Still, the latest survey finds large majorities expressing either positive or mixed feelings about Bin Laden.
Many apparently rationalize their support for Al Qaeda by concluding that it wasn't behind 9/11. Despite Bin Laden's televised boasting, fewer than one in four surveyed — and just 2% of Pakistanis — say they think that Al Qaeda masterminded the attacks. This depressing landscape suggests a steep uphill climb for the United States. Yet persuading Muslims of the merits of democratic over theocratic rule remains Washington's only viable long-term strategy to win the generational war against Islamic extremists.
3 comments:
I for one, despite being educated and westernized and pro-american, feel that america doesn't want our lot to improve.
American interest in our countries seems limited to protecting its hegemony. There is no American interest in really promoting democracy, literacy, or commerce.
the point really is what are we doing to improve our own lot. when the west progresed, when the far east progressed they did not wait for help - they got on with it....
Islam and democrcy at at logger heads. Muhammed was a King as well as Army Commander In Chief. Thus Islamic culture reflects the same as Most Islamic countries are ruled by dictators, Generals, Amirs & Kings.
Progress in West Started when Galeilio proved bible wrong after invetion of Binocular - which proved that earth is not center of Universe, earth is not flat, sun is not revolving around earth but the other way round.
This eventually led to separation of Church and state, opening ways to progress in science and vatican stripped of its status as King makers led to Democracy.
Muslim world will take more time to relegate religion to where it belongs and Mosque and Church to separate clearing way to democracy.
Weaklings hate powerful, poor hate rich, losers hate successful. So Muslims hate West and America.
In nuclear age to save annihiliation of intelligent life, west is rightly in a hurry to take democracy to Muslims. No books or preaching and financial incentives are able to do that in double quick time, hence Afghanistan was allowed to be Talibanised for Muslims to see that failure of Islam and Iraq to fail under intense dictatorship. Intial democracies have been installed - but it will take time. There are already some results - Women in Kuwait were allowed to vote for first time - Saudi held Municipal elections. When America leaves Sunni Shia tussle for power will help shed more blood. Road to democracy will be painful but we must get there - or say good bye to human future on earth.
If Muslims do become rulers of the world as 'promised' by religion itself - one can imagine economic collapse and science taking a back stage.
We the Muslims should help ourselves to democratise and separate Mosque and state. First step should be banning religious education at schools. Home and society will in time follow suit.
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