The New Nation - Internet Edition

Karin Zeitvogel

Washington-A huge survey of the world's Muslims released late last month [Feb. 26] challenges Western notions that equate Islam with radicalism and violence.

Conducted by the Gallup polling agency over six years and three continents, the survey seeks to dispel the belief held by some in the West that Islam itself is the driving force behind radicalism.

It shows that an overwhelming majority of Muslims condemned the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001 and other subsequent terrorist attacks.

Dalia Mogadeh, director of the Gallup Centre for Muslim Studies and co-author of the book "Who Speaks for Islam?" which grew out of the study, quoted Samuel Harris in the Washington Times from 2004 who said: "It is time we admitted that we are not at war with terrorism. We are at war with Islam." Ms Mogadeh told a Washington press conference that "the argument Mr. Harris makes is that religion in the primary driver" of radicalism and violence. "Religion is an important part of life for the overwhelming majority of Muslims, and if it were indeed the driver for radicalisation, this would be a serious issue," she continued.

But Mogadeh went on to stress that the Gallup study, which claims to have surveyed a sample equivalent to 90 percent of the world's Muslims, showed that widespread religiosity "does not translate into widespread support for terrorism."

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.

In majority Muslim countries, overwhelming numbers said religion was a very important part of their lives, including: 99 per cent in Indonesia, 98 per cent in Egypt, 95 per cent in Pakistan. And only seven percent of the billion Muslims surveyed - those identified as radicals-condoned the attacks on the United States in 2001, the poll showed.

Moderate Muslims interviewed for the poll condemned the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington because innocent lives were lost and civilians killed.

"Some actually cited religious justifications for why they were against 9/11, going as far as to quote from the Quran-for example, the verse that says taking one innocent life is like killing all humanity," she said.

Meanwhile, radical Muslims gave political, not religious, reasons for condoning the attacks, the poll showed.

The survey shows radicals to be neither more religious than their moderate counterparts, nor products of abject poverty or refugee camps.

"The radicals are better educated, have better jobs, and are more hopeful with regard to the future than mainstream Muslims," said John Esposito, who with Ms Mogadeh co-authored "Who Speaks for Islam?"

"Ironically, they believe in democracy even more than many of the mainstream moderates do, but they're more cynical about whether they'll ever get it," added Esposito, a professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University in Washington.

Gallup launched the study following 9/11, when U.S. President George W. Bush asked in a speech (which is quoted in the book), "Why do they hate us?" Bush tried to answer his own rhetorical question by saying, "They hate t a democratically elected government. They hate our freedoms-our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other."

But the poll, which gives ordinary Muslims a voice in the global debate that they have been drawn into by 9/11, showed that most Muslims- including radicals-admire the West for its democracy, freedoms and technological prowess. What they do not want is to have Western ways forced on them.

"Muslims want self-determination, but not an American-imposed and [American-]defined democracy. They don't want secularism or theocracy. What the majority wants is democracy with religious values," said Esposito.

Co-author Mogadeh said that the poll "has given voice to Islam's silent majority t A billion Muslims should be the ones that we look to, to understand what they believe, rather than a vocal minority."

Muslims in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East were interviewed for the survey, which is part of Gallup's World Poll that aims to interview 95 percent of the world's population.

(This article was edited for the Canadian Islamic Congress Friday Magazine.)