Anti-American feelings soar among Muslims, study finds

This is an interesting poll in a number of respects, especially to an American conservative point of view.

Firstly, there’s a LOT of dislike out there, and it seems to be getting worse for the most part.

Seven per cent believe that the events of 9/11 were “completely justified”. In Saudi Arabia, 79 per cent had an “unfavourable view” of the US.

7% of the Islamic world is about 100M people – nothing to sneeze at.

It is also well worth noting that the standard liberal reasoning about the origins of radicalism in the cesspools of economic malaise are erroneous:

Gallup’s Centre for Muslim Studies in New York carried out surveys of 10,000 Muslims in ten predominantly Muslim countries. One finding was that the wealthier and better-educated the Muslim was, the more likely he was to be radicalised.

There are some areas of possible leverage that can provide a basis for real understanding:

The Gallup findings indicate that, in terms of spiritual values and the emphasis on the family and the future, Americans have more in common with Muslims than they do with their Western counterparts in Europe. A large number of Muslims supported the Western ideal of democratic government. Fifty per cent of radicals supported democracy, compared with 35 per cent of moderates.

What really struck the Chief, is that the Islamic radicals were driven to their opposition to the US for the same sort of “culture war” issues that drive US conservatives crazy:

Religion was found to have little to do with radicalisation or antipathy towards Western culture. Muslims were condemnatory of promiscuity and a sense of moral decay. What they admired most was liberty, its democratic system, technology and freedom of speech.

If this is accurate, the Chief has more in common with some of these people than he thought he did. Go figure.