Center for National Policy Discussion

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an urgency to understand the Muslim world has become more palpable. These days, Muslim-West discussions by Washington think tanks attract crowds. Last week's event at the Center for National Policy (CNP) was no exception. Despite the gloomy weather, more than 100 people from the public policy and intelligence communities gathered in a small room at the Center, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, to hear how Muslims view the United States.

The series of suicide bombings in European capitals and other cities around the world have reinforced the image of deep-seated hatred toward the West. But attacks in cities such as Casablanca and Riyadh provide additional clues to help clarify the East-West debate. Tim Roemer, president of the Center for National Policy, introduced Dr. James Zogby and Dalia Mogahed, the event guest speakers, and moderated the event discussion. Both guest speakers agreed that it's not only the support from the West -- especially the United States -- in propping up unpopular governments in the region that is causing resentment among Muslims. They both say it's also because those governments cozy up to Washington and do little to improve conditions in their own countries. Dr. Zogby, the president of the Arab-American Institute, said that in the Arab world, people "know that extremism poses problems, but they feel that [the United States] fans the flames of extremism." Based on his work in the Arab world, Dr. Zogby reported that Arabs want peace and stability, but they also feel the United States must help end the conflicts that exist in the region. They want the United States to help them build their national capacity in terms of access to education and healthcare.

Ms. Mogahed, the executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, relied heavily on survey research across the Muslim world to bring public opinion into sharper focus. Her findings from the Gallup World Poll in 35 predominantly Muslim countries reveal that while many individuals view the United States negatively, it doesn't mean they support extremism. In fact, the vast majority of those polled are classified as moderates. According to her research, only 7% of those polled, based on a population-weighted average, are considered to be members of the high-conflict group, defined as those who said the 9/11 attacks were completely morally justified and who also have an unfavorable or very unfavorable view of the United States. These politically radicalized individuals express sympathy for extremism and could potentially provide support for terrorist groups or even join their ranks. The moderates, however, hold a variety of opinions toward the West, ranging from positive to negative -- but they don't condone the 9/11 attacks.

Drawing from Gallup's breadth of public opinion data, Ms. Mogahed sketched the profiles of the two groups, at times shattering stereotypes of what terrorist sympathizers look like. First, both groups share several values. Radicals and moderates say religion is an important part of their lives. Secondly, they also use the same attributes to describe what they admire most about the West -- namely, technology, rule of law, individual responsibility, and fairness of political systems. But perhaps most importantly, both the moderate and high-conflict groups have a deep sense of being treated as inferiors and being humiliated by the West. In fact, what they resent most is the West's "disrespect for Islam." The stereotype of the poor, uneducated young male -- whose piety is the cause of his sympathies for extremism -- is not found in Gallup's research. On average, the politically radicalized are more educated and affluent than the moderates. And while about half of the high-conflict group are between the ages of 18 and 29, 42% of moderates are in the same age range. Almost 4 in 10 among the politically radicalized are women. Members of the high-conflict group are also more likely to say that democracy will help foster progress in their region. However, the high-conflict group's greatest fear is to be "dominated" or "occupied" by the West, while for moderates, their top concerns are based on economic issues such as standards of living and unemployment.

Overall, the politically radicalized reject the idea that human suffering is inevitable and deserved. As such, the high-conflict group shows a great sense of ego and self-actualization. According to Ms. Mogahed, coauthor of Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think (Gallup Press, March 2008), al Qaeda symbolizes rebellion -- not religion -- in the eyes of its admirers. For the politically radicalized, the struggle appears to be a quest for policy reform, not piety. Dr. Zogby added that people in the Arab world don't want us to get involved in their internal politics, which only reinforces their perceptions of Western control and domination.

One attendee identified a key issue in asking how the United States can help the region build capacity without meddling in the countries' internal affairs. Both Dr. Zogby and Ms. Mogahed explained that capacity building and non-interference in internal politics are compatible if the rules of engagement in the Muslim world are nuanced. If we are to bring about change in society without resorting to violence, "we must engage with mainstream, legitimate reformers and stop diagnosing the problem as religion," said Ms. Mogahed.