2008-02-28 Survey challenges myths about Islam

2008-02-28 theage.com.au Karin Zeitvogel \Islam\9-11\radicalism\religion http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/survey-challenges-myths-about-islam/2008/02/27/1203788440028.html Survey challenges myths about Islam A survey &ldquo;shows that the overwhelming majority of Muslims condemned the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and other subsequent terrorist attacks ... the poll found that most Muslims, including radicals, admire the West...&rdquo;  A huge survey of the world's Muslims challenges Western notions that equate Islam with radicalism and violence.

The survey, conducted by the Gallup polling agency over six years in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, seeks to dispel the belief held by some in the West that Islam itself is the driving force of radicalism.

It shows that the overwhelming majority of Muslims condemned the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and other subsequent terrorist attacks, the authors said in Washington.

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About 93% of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are moderates and only 7% are politically radical, according to the poll, based on more than 50,000 interviews.

In majority Muslim countries, overwhelming majorities said religion was a very important part of their lives — 99% in Indonesia, 98% in Egypt, 95% in Pakistan. But only 7% of the Muslims surveyed — the radicals — condoned the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001, the poll found.

Moderate Muslims interviewed condemned the attacks because innocent lives were lost and civilians killed.

"Some actually cited religious justifications for why they were against 9/11, going as far as to quote from the Koran — for example, the verse that says taking one innocent life is like killing all humanity," Ms Mogahed said. Radical Muslims gave political, not religious, reasons for condoning the attacks, the poll showed.

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Gallup launched the study following the 9/11 attacks, after which US President George Bush said: "They hate ... a democratically elected government."

But the poll found that most Muslims, including radicals, admire the West for its democracy, freedoms and technological prowess. What they do not want is Western ways forced on them. Muslims want self-determination, not an American-imposed democracy.   