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Who Speaks for Islam?
The politicization of scholars, experts and media commentators post-9/11 has created a minefield for policymakers and the general public as they search for answers to questions.
"Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think" is a new book based upon The Gallup World Poll which covers 95% of the world’s population. Since 2001, Gallup has conducted more than 50,000 hour-long, face-to-face interviews with residents of more than 35 nations that are predominantly Muslim or have substantial Muslim populations. The result is the largest and most comprehensive poll of the Muslim world, representing the voices of more than 90% of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims, young and old, educated and illiterate, female and male, living in urban and rural settings, makes this the largest, most comprehensive study of contemporary Muslims ever done.
Gallup posed questions on the minds of millions of people: How widespread is political radicalism? Who are they and how do they feel about the West?
Now we can get beyond the battle of experts and pseudo-experts and let the data/evidence lead the discourse.
How widespread is political radicalism, and thus the potential pool of extremism?
The key question asked to demarcate moderates from the politically radicalized was whether the 9/11 attacks were completely justified and whether they have an unfavorable or favorable view of the United States. Moderates, the vast majority (93%), said the 9/11 attacks were unjustified; on the other hand, the politically radicalized (7%), and thus potential supporters of extremism, said the attacks were completely justified and view the United States unfavorably. Identification as “politically radicalized” does not mean they commit acts of violence but that they are a potential source for recruitment or support for terrorist groups.
Defying the conventional wisdom about the drivers of Islamic extremism, both moderates and politically radicalized have similarly strong religious sentiments, as measured by frequency of religious service attendance and their affirmation that religion is an important part of their lives. What is the profile of the politically radicalized? They are on average more educated 67% vs. 52% and affluent (65% say they have average or above-average income versus 55%) than moderates. They are also, on average, more optimistic about their personal future than moderates, more optimistic about their own lives. However, the politically radicalized were far more intense in their belief that Western political, military and cultural domination is a major threat. When asked to define their greatest fears about the future of their country, the politically radicalized most frequently cite interference in their internal affairs by other countries, national security, colonization, occupation, and fear of U.S. dominance. In contrast, moderates rank economic problems as their top concern.
Why Do They Hate Us?
Although many in the West believe that anti-Americanism is tethered to a basic hatred of the West, respondents’ assessments of individual Western countries reveal a different picture. Unfavorable opinions of the United States or Great Britain do not preclude a favorable attitude toward other Western countries such as France or Germany. Across all predominantly Muslim countries polled, an average of 75% associate “ruthless” with the United States (in contrast to only 13% for France and 13% for Germany).
The politically radicalized are consistently more negative than are moderates in their opinions of all Western countries tested in the survey. However, there is a stark contrast in their view of individual Western nations. Even those who are politically radicalized consistently differentiate between countries and leaders and do not see a monolithic West. For example, while only a quarter of the politically radicalized have very unfavorable opinions of France (25%) and Germany (26%), this percentage jumps to 68% for Britain and 84% for the United States.
For the first time, we have a powerful new tool that provides access to the voices of a billion Muslims. This data challenges much of the conventional wisdom about Muslims. Letting the data lead the discourse enables policymakers, the media and all concerned citizens to transcend the “battle of the experts” and take new paths toward global understanding and better informed political initiatives.
By
John Esposito
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March 26, 2008; 1:42 PM ET
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Posted by: nizam | April 1, 2008 11:44 PM
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Anti-Immigration Dutch Lawmaker Characterizes His Film (FITNA) as 'Tough Reality'
A Dutch lawmaker known for his outspoken opposition to immigration posted a graphic film depicting Islam as a religion of violence on a maverick video-sharing Web site Thursday night after government and religious officials spent weeks trying to prevent its release.
The 15-minute film splices verses from the Koran with videos of mutilated bombing victims, the World Trade Center attack, the beheading of a man by masked gunmen and an Afghan woman draped in a pleated blue burqa being shot in the head.
"It is not a provocation, it is tough reality -- a reality that some Muslims might not find comfortable," (more at link)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/27/AR2008032703722_Comments.html
Posted by: Anonymous | March 28, 2008 7:59 AM
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who speaks for islam?
just go straight to the source and book of islam(quran +sunna).
1-quran and sunna not only the book and guide of islam but also the critera and judge between islam and none islam,between what humanbeings who call themself muslims and humanbeings none muslims ,not only that but is the judge and critera between muslims one and the other.in other word in order to speak to muslims you need to speak thru quran and sunn at least that is the book of their ideology and methodlogy whether they take it moderatly or extremly ,you have to study it thru the eye of the same book the same source (quran +sunn),not the individual or group humanbeings muslims and not the individual or groups humanbeings none muslims.
2-speaking to islam or dialoguing with islam thru the idealogy and the methodolgy of the west not only proved failure but also proved uninformative unguided to any comperhensive or any understanding dialogue ,the west keep singing the same monologue that his grand father was singing .
3-speaking to islam thru humanbeings who call themselfs muslims without the critera and judgement of the source of islam is also a failure because you trying to judge what is divine by what is human ,the opposit is absloutly right you need to judge what is human by what is divine.this is the essence of the messeage of islam any way .
4-speaking to islam is not a market or a bazar research that you need to travel around the earth (88 days around the world) to come up to a shack and backe collective mechanism pancea about islam and muslims ,just simply read the source of islam in order to understand islam befor speaking to islam and judgeing islam and muslims.
Posted by: mo | March 28, 2008 5:20 AM
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The question Gallup should have asked should have been, "What is your response to the following historic and contemporary evaluation of Islam????"
Mohammed was an illiterate, womanizing, lust and greed-driven, warmongering, hallucinating Arab.
He also had embellishing/ hallucinating/ plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" aka "pretty, wingie, flying, talking, fictional thingies" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.
This agenda continues as shown by the assassination of Bhutto, the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the Islamic bombers of the trains in the UK and Spain, the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani “koranics”, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases, the Taliban nut jobs, and the Filipino “koranics”.
And who funds these acts of terror? The warmongering, Islamic, Shiite terror and torture theocracy of Iran aka the Third Axis of Evil and also the Sunni "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.
Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | March 27, 2008 2:55 PM
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Every muslim is a God-fearing and peace-loving person,independent of their eductaion, economic background, social status. Being God-fearing most of them afraid of commiting crimes, even small crime such as stealing a small thing. Becuase they know that God is watching over them. Now, there are criminals in every society, every religion. Unfortunately, biased media always highlights the mischivieous muslims as if they are the real muslims. For example,if asked non-muslims about islam, almost all of them cite the four-marriage, chopping off hand of theif etc but they never know or probably do not want to know the other beutiful aspects of the religion of islam. For example, why don´t media and non-muslims cite the fact that every muslims are required to donate (zaakat) 2.5% of their total savings for the poor in a calender year, that interest based transaction is prohibited for muslims, there is least drunk people amongst the muslims? By the way, what is the problem of chopping off the hand of a theif? You look at the so-called modern society and see how few criminals make life miserable for majority of peace-loving people. Do the supporter of criminals think that the life of a theif, a murderer, a rapist more important than their victims? In the same way, why life of an american is more important than the life of an indian, or pakistani or a nigerian? Muslims are most just people and seeing injustice committed by west all over muslim world,some of them stand against injustice, and then media and politician call them terrorist as if the crime of the state is less severe than crimes commited by individual. Being a muslim I fear most the america, because of their policy of looting other resources to achieve to fill their big-belly by any means and I think, that makes few muslims (brave) to stand against them. Everyone with clear conscince know that what US and Britain is doing around the world is crime, but very few have the courage to stand against them for the fear of their life. However, not every one scared to die and fortunately, muslims are least scared to sacrifice their life for the sake of justice and freedom. I say they are real people with real heart.