Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Abe Greenwald on a new "major survey" of the "world's Muslims.": Muslim Survey "Challenges" West
A new Gallup poll is being touted as a "challenge" to western misperceptions of Islam. The survey was done on three continents and took six years to complete, and as the French news agency AFP reports, we've all been a little alarmist over here: "About 93 percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are moderates and only seven percent are politically radical, according to the poll, based on more than 50,000 interviews."
Seven percent of 1.3 billion leaves us with . . . 91 million radical Islamists. And to think we were concerned! That piddling handful is nothing that can't be taken care of with a little dialogue, a few billion in American aid, and some proper education. I'm feeling audaciously hopeful.
But, wait, what's this? "The radicals are better educated, have better jobs, and are more hopeful with regard to the future than mainstream Muslims," said John Esposito, who authored the book Who Speaks for Islam.
Oh well...
Amazing what small percentages translate into when taken from a large enough pool. Terminology differences complicate matters as well (see the rest of Greenwald's entry for the discussion of Democracy).
Good point! We give them money and the most educated become the most radical!
I guess this fact will be ignored by the politicians. They will just say: "look how peaceful they are."
Try to imagine that you are a radical muslim and that a western questioner comes to you. (Do you expect him to give money to you for your cooperation? Do you believe him, or do you think it is a trick to find trouble makers?)
Do you say that you hate the west and that you want to destroy it or that you are on your way to produce some war material?
Probably not!
I have seen hate-speech imams, that gave interviews in which they denied every peace of hate that they put into their preach.
It is not only 7% radical muslim. It is 7% radical muslim that were willing to admit this direct into the face of a hateful westerner.
Esposito is one of the two editors, managers and authors of the Gallup study, so I'd suggest 91 million might be thought of as a minimum or lower-end figure. Perhaps not, but Esposito's MESA and similar CV indicators are noteworthy and suggestive in that vein. The other author is a Dalia Mogahed, whom I've never heard of.