(CNN) Richard Wike - When it comes to hearts and minds, al-Qaeda and its ilk have repeatedly demonstrated that they have very limited appeal. Indeed, the more people are exposed to extremist violence and al-Qaeda-style rule, the less they like it. In 2004, 41% of Pakistani Muslims said suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilian targets could often or sometimes be justified. By 2013 that number had fallen to 3%. A 2005 Pew Research poll found 57% of Jordanian Muslims believed that suicide bombings could often or sometimes be justifiable. As of March 2013, support for suicide bombing among Muslims in Jordan had tumbled to 12%. The writer is Director of Global Attitudes Research at the Pew Research Center.
2014-01-31 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive