Pew Survey: Obama Not So Popular In Middle East; Palestinians Most Supportive Of Suicide Bombings

People are still debating whether the current revolt in the Middle East constitute an "Arab Spring" or an opportunity for more radical elements to take control.

According to a new Pew survey, events in the Middle East are not helping the image of the US:

With the exception of Indonesia, Obama remains unpopular in the Muslim nations polled, and most disapprove of the way he has handled calls for political change roiling the Middle East. Moreover, many of the concerns that have driven animosity toward the U.S. in recent years are still present -- a perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally, opposition to the war on terror, and fears of America as a military threat. And in countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Pakistan, most say their own governments cooperate too much with the U.S.

Another interesting point made in the survey is that the very factors that are contributing to the Muslim interest in democracy, will not necessarily lead to democratic governments. That is because

the embrace of democracy coexists with a strong desire for economic growth and political stability. Many prioritize a strong economy over a good democracy. And when they are asked about the key elements of a successful democracy, those in the surveyed nations place economic prosperity and political stability at the top of the list.

On the issue of terrorism, Palestinian Arabs seem to embrace it more than other Muslim countries:

Al Qaeda is rated negatively by majorities in all countries, but more than a quarter express a positive opinion of the terrorist group in the Palestinian territories.

...In recent years, Pew Global Attitudes surveys have documented a decline in support for suicide bombing in a number of countries, and today the percentage of Muslims who say this type of violence is often or sometimes justifiable stands at 10% or less in Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan. Support for these acts is somewhat more common in Arab nations, although there have been steep declines over the last decade in Lebanon and Jordan.

Palestinian Muslims, however, remain an outlier on this question: 68% say suicide attacks in defense of Islam can often or sometimes be justified, a level of support essentially unchanged from 2007. And in Egypt, support for suicide bombing is actually on the rise -- currently, 28% believe it can be justified, up from 8% in 2007.

Technorati Tag: Obama and Middle East and Terrorism and Palestinians.