Feiler Faster

Feiler Faster

End of Muslim Extremism?

posted by bfeiler | 8:00am Thursday July 26, 2007

Where are the moderate Muslims? Everywhere, apparently. A new study by Pew shows that support for suicide bombings has been cut in half in many parts of the Muslim world. Most notably, the survey finds large and growing numbers of Muslims in the Middle East and elsewhere rejecting Islamic extremism.
pew.gif

The percentage of Muslims saying that suicide bombing is justified in the defense of Islam has declined dramatically over the past five years in five of eight countries where trends are available. In Lebanon, for example, just 34% of Muslims say suicide bombings in the defense of Islam are often or sometimes justified; in 2002, 74% expressed this view. However, Palestinians stand out for their broad acceptance of suicide bombing. Seven-in-ten-Palestinians say this tactic is at least sometimes justified.

The survey adds:

The decreasing acceptance of extremism among Muslims also is reflected in declining support for Osama bin Laden. Since 2003, Muslim confidence in bin Laden to do the right thing in world affairs has fallen; in Jordan, just 20% express a lot or some confidence in bin Laden, down from 56% four years ago. Yet confidence in bin Laden in the Palestinian territories, while lower than it was in 2003, remains relatively high (57%).
Opinion about Hezbollah and Hamas varies among Muslim publics. Views of both groups are favorable among most predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East and Asia. And Palestinians have strongly positive opinions of both militant groups. But majorities in Turkey have negative impressions of both Hezbollah and Hamas.



Previous Posts

Goodbye!
Dear Friends and Readers, After a wonderful relationship with Beliefnet, I've moved my blog to brucefeiler.com. Please join me there, or check out my new site, councilofdads.com, where I talk regularly about faith, family, and health. Thanks for your interest. Bruce Feiler

posted 2:12:51pm Apr. 21, 2010 | read full post »

The Man Who Started It All
In WALKING THE BIBLE, he's still sitting there forever, behind a cloud of smoke, saying, "People like me don't have time to talk to people like you," then calling me at home that night to introduce me to Avner. Now, nearing 100, he has finally passed.Avraham Biran, an archaeologist of biblical site

posted 10:32:33pm Oct. 06, 2008 | read full post »

Feiler Faster in Denver -- Final Thoughts
The last of my brother's blogs. * * * I was on the floor the other day and came across a man of about forty who wore on his left breast what looked like a military medal. A small ribbon pinned to his chest with a medallion hanging from it. It was the credential that his grandfather wore at the 196

posted 9:16:57pm Aug. 30, 2008 | read full post »

Feiler Faster in Denver -- Day 3
My brother's dailiy blog from inside the hall. * * * President Carter addressed the Georgia delegation this morning. Recently, he said, he'd been interviewed by the editor of the British newspaper "The Guardian" and had been asked whether a President Obama could change America's reputation in the

posted 12:25:22pm Aug. 28, 2008 | read full post »

Feiler Faster in Denver -- Day 2
My brother's latest blog. He's the official photographer of the Georgia Delegation. * * * Considering I described myself yesterday as a pop culture moron, the funniest response I've gotten so far was, "Who's Angela Bassett?" In the wake of opening night there's been a lot of play about Carville and

posted 10:28:13am Aug. 27, 2008 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments read comments(7)
post a comment
F>B.Todd SR

posted July 27, 2007 at 9:19 am


history ahs taught us alesson,if we would only learn.there has and will continue to be extreme views inall religions,including the JEWISH.Christian and the Muslim Faiths.However ther seem to be more violence in the Muslim faith against other religions.Until the moderates in the faith stand up and openly without fear take a stand ther will continue to be extreme violence.In America during the Civil Rights era violence was the norm until moderate whites took a stand for what was right for concerning the life of every human being.



report abuse
 

Ed

posted July 31, 2007 at 2:21 pm


“The percentage of Muslims saying that suicide bombing is justified in the defense of Islam has declined dramatically over the past five years in five of eight countries where trends are available.”
Understandable, once they realized it could happen to them, and not just Israelis.



report abuse
 

murtaza

posted July 31, 2007 at 9:35 pm


the so called cruseders n zionist have the equipment to deliver death n destruction on innocent muslims, while the supress muslims do not have what should the muslims do?



report abuse
 

Mariam

posted August 1, 2007 at 8:50 am


I am hoping inshallah the press will now begin to focus on covering Islam not in relationship to terrorism or extremism, but instead in a more well-rounded way wherein non-Muslims will have a better understanding of Islam. Newsweek magazine recently featured Islam as its cover story, and basically the stories were well-rounded. It is one example of exposing more of Islam to the general public in a more balanced way. Now, the next project is to make people stop using the word “jihadist” to describe terrorist or extremist behavior!



report abuse
 

paula

posted August 2, 2007 at 1:49 am


Asalamualaikum wr wb.May Allah swt bless us all always in all ways. “The Fruit of the spirit is love , joy , peace ,& patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness , gentleness , & SELF control. Against such things there is no law. like all the laws of nature , there is utter perfection in this law . you create your life whatever you sow, you reap! YOUR THOUGHTS are seeds and the harvest you reap will depend on the seeds you plant. EXAMPLES moves the WoRlD more than DOctorine. follow the BOOK and the lifes of our prophet. no complains, just Qadah and Qadar.



report abuse
 

paula

posted August 2, 2007 at 1:55 am


JIHAD within ourself is more important than anything else. Jihad for the peaceful happier world. jihad starts within ourself now…….



report abuse
 

Usama

posted August 8, 2007 at 6:48 am


The real point is that Muslims believe militancy will not solve most of their problems, eventhough it is appropriate in certain circumstances, like invasion, occupation, usurpation, and colonization.
In contrast, more and more Americans support bombing Makka and Madinah as retaliation against the actions of a few bombers. More Americans want to kill 100s of millions of Muslims arbitrarily as if all Muslim life is expendable and nothing is valued or significant, even allies.
It is wonderously arrogant, a self-destructive cancer growing in America which will ultimately prove to kill themselves. Anyone who knows Muslims would tell you the fastest way to turn every and all Muslims: liberal, moderate, conservative, extremist united and against America is to bomb Makka and Madinah. Every embassy, every imperial base, every relation with Muslims would be in question. No Muslim ruler could keep his throne if he worked with America then. And Israel would be further isolated as America’s 51st unofficial state.
So Muslims are less extremist but Americans are more.



report abuse
 

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.

Share this story


About Beliefnet

Our mission is to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness. More about Beliefnet.

Help

Media Kit

Subscribe

Legal

Copyright © Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. Constructed by Beliefnet.

Advertisement

Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.