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A Stunning Shift of Iran's Image in the Arab World
(Christian Science Monitor) Dan Murphy - When pollster James Zogby surveyed Arab public opinion about Iran in June, he found a stunning reversal in Iran's popularity among six Arab nations. Five years ago, Iran and Hizbullah in Lebanon were on a high, symbols of resistance to the U.S. and foreign occupation in the region. Asked if Iran plays a positive or negative role in the region, in Morocco, Iran dropped from an 82% "positive" rating in 2006, to 85% "negative" today. In Egypt, the shift was from 89% positive to 63% negative. In Saudi Arabia, it went from 85% positive to 80% negative, and in the UAE it went from 68% positive to 70% negative. Only in Lebanon, which has a large Shiite population, did Iran retain a positive rating, down from 71% to 63%.