Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Sinking in the Polls (Osama bin Laden)
Washington Post ^ | 17 September 2007 | Karen Hughes

Posted on 09/18/2007 4:33:02 AM PDT by shrinkermd

People in America and many other Western nations have expressed strong disapproval of bin Laden and al-Qaeda since the Sept. 11 attacks. What's new is the dramatic decline in his standing in majority-Muslim countries. Polls in the two nations that have suffered some of the worst of al-Qaeda's violence -- Afghanistan and Iraq -- show that more than 90 percent of those populations have unfavorable views of al-Qaeda and of bin Laden himself.

Pollsters say that it is difficult to find 90 percent agreement that apple pie is American -- yet polling in Turkey two years ago found that 90 percent of citizens believe the al-Qaeda bombings in London, Istanbul, Madrid and Egypt were unjust and unfair; 86 percent thought that there was no excuse for condoning the Sept. 11 attacks; and 75 percent said bin Laden does not represent Muslims....

Support for terrorist tactics has fallen in seven of the eight predominantly Muslim countries polled as part of the Pew Global Attitudes Project since 2002; in most cases, those declines have been dramatic. Five years ago in Lebanon, 74 percent of the population thought suicide bombing could sometimes be justified. Today it's 34 percent.... [Other Muslim Countries as well]

Perhaps most significant, Muslim populations are increasingly rejecting bin Laden's attempts to pervert their faith. WorldPublicOpinion.org found in April that large majorities in Egypt (88 percent), Indonesia (65 percent) and Morocco (66 percent) agree: "Groups that use violence against civilians, such as Al Qaida, are violating the principles of Islam. Islam opposes the use of such violence."

These shifts in attitude are beginning to show up in actions. Sunni leaders in Iraq's Anbar province are working with coalition forces against al-Qaeda because, as one local leader said to journalists, all the terrorists bring is chaos

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; alqueda; binladen; iran; iraq; muslims; osama; pakistan; polls; syria
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last
Great editorial by a great lady. I guess this is the time of the year for a change in the weather--perhaps even in Washington. In the meantime, the Washington Post did good work in publishing this.
1 posted on 09/18/2007 4:33:05 AM PDT by shrinkermd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

Very pleasantly surprised at the percentages.
Blame Bush, we’re winning !


2 posted on 09/18/2007 4:35:11 AM PDT by IrishMike (As America wins, the Democrats and their apologists lose.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: IrishMike

Only the RATS still believe we are losing!


3 posted on 09/18/2007 4:40:57 AM PDT by shrinkermd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

Murtha: Post-Withdrawal Bloodbath Would Not Be Congress’ Fault
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200709/NAT20070918a.html


4 posted on 09/18/2007 4:43:54 AM PDT by IrishMike (As America wins, the Democrats and their apologists lose.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

OBL’s approval rating is about the same as the Dem-controlled Congress’s.


5 posted on 09/18/2007 4:50:37 AM PDT by Loyal Buckeye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

They should have surveyed Congress ...I’m certain that bin Laden’s popularity is at an all time high with the Democrats.


6 posted on 09/18/2007 5:38:04 AM PDT by The Great RJ ("Mir we bleiwen wat mir sin" or "We want to remain what we are." ..Luxembourg motto)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

Perhaps most significant, Muslim populations are increasingly rejecting bin Laden’s attempts to pervert their faith. WorldPublicOpinion.org found in April that large majorities in Egypt (88 percent), Indonesia (65 percent) and Morocco (66 percent) agree: “Groups that use violence against civilians, such as Al Qaida, are violating the principles of Islam. Islam opposes the use of such violence.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

One thing about religions is that the adherent’s behaviour does not depend on what the book actually says but rather on what the majority of “believers” decide to “believe”. This is evidenced by the huge percentages of those who call themselves Christians but live by a code not in evidence in either the old or new testaments. Perhaps the majority of Muslims will refuse to believe that they are commanded to cut off the heads of non Muslims!!


7 posted on 09/18/2007 6:15:53 AM PDT by RipSawyer (Does anybody still believe this is a free country?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

Only the RATS still believe we are losing!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I find it scary to see how many people in “conservative” South Carolina and I mean people who at first glance would appear to be rock-solid conservative Republicans are ready to abandon Iraq and don’t seem to think there is any danger in doing so. If the Rats win this election it will spell the end of the last hope for this country.


8 posted on 09/18/2007 6:31:15 AM PDT by RipSawyer (Does anybody still believe this is a free country?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RipSawyer
“Perhaps the majority of Muslims will refuse to believe that they are commanded to cut off the heads of non Muslims!!”

...and they will start eating pork, and stop honor killings, and we will all live happily ever after..... sigh.

“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property - either as a child, a wife, or a concubine - must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. “ — Winston Churchill

9 posted on 09/18/2007 6:52:18 AM PDT by monday
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd
I would like for her to explore the reasons for the shift in attitudes.

I think it is because the USA (this administration) has been resolute in their actions, honest and consistent in their foreign dealings, and the military has not only operated with force and diligence, but as a friend to the populace while fiercely overpowering their foes.

10 posted on 09/18/2007 7:10:37 AM PDT by elpadre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

Sinking in the Polls (Osama bin Laden), except in Democrat circles and Moveon.Org parties!


11 posted on 09/18/2007 7:30:30 AM PDT by Holicheese (1-21-09 Hillary starts to destroy America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

Don’t let Harry Reid and the rest of the Rat Pack see this. Things aren’t going too well for them right now - this just might cause them to go completely insane.


12 posted on 09/18/2007 7:35:44 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (Ron Paul put the cuckoo in my Cocoa Puffs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: monday

Yeah, I suppose I was only engaging in wishful thinking, sometimes it just doesn’t seem possible that such huge numbers of people can believe such total garbage but then the history of the world is the history of mass insanity. If the human race were capable of acting collectively in its own best interests we would be living in a near paradise already.


13 posted on 09/18/2007 8:49:20 AM PDT by RipSawyer (Does anybody still believe this is a free country?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

14 posted on 09/18/2007 8:53:58 AM PDT by CJ Wolf (Tagline space for rent. FRmail me for prices and terms and conditions. willing to barter...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

Plausible deniability.


15 posted on 09/18/2007 10:16:40 AM PDT by HeartlandOfAmerica (The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

Good news, but Mohammedanism is still Mohammedanism, and will remain so for the forseeable future.


16 posted on 09/18/2007 10:35:54 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Holicheese
I read somewhere recently that the Muslims living in the USA voted predominantly as a republican block in 2000, but after the Iraq war began switched parties and are now voting as a democratic block.. Did anyone here read or hear this before?
17 posted on 09/18/2007 11:07:40 AM PDT by oswegodeee (Dee)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: oswegodeee

I have heard that also.


18 posted on 09/18/2007 11:09:43 AM PDT by Holicheese (1-21-09 Hillary starts to destroy America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Holicheese
If that is so won't that skew the election towards the Dems? I guess that is how they won the senate?

If I am wrong please correct me..

Perhaps that too is how they are getting prayer rooms and foot baths in public places as well? Thanks to the liberal dems>>>

19 posted on 09/18/2007 11:18:33 AM PDT by oswegodeee (Dee ( Born and raised in the south, yummy corn bread and BBQ ))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd; NormsRevenge; Grampa Dave; SierraWasp; Marine_Uncle; Fred Nerks; AdmSmith; dervish; ...

Excellent!


20 posted on 09/18/2007 2:55:47 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson