(Foreign Policy) John Hannah - Polling expert David Pollock reports that the overwhelming majority of Arabs, consistently upwards of 95%, express a negative view of the Islamic State, a number that has been increasing over time. Interestingly, expressions of support for the Islamic State are somewhat higher in non-Arab Muslim societies - 8% in Turkey, 11% in Malaysia and Senegal, and 20% in Nigeria. However, between 20% and 60% of Muslims are at least "somewhat supportive" of violence, suicide bombings, and terrorism so long as it is perpetrated "in defense of Islam." Similarly, in several key countries, support for other hardcore Islamist movements - the Muslim Brotherhood, in particular - regularly draws support from as many as one-third of respondents. The writer is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
2015-12-31 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive