2007年VOA标准英语-Muslims Skeptical of War on Terrorism

By Jela De Franceschi
Washington, D.C.
10 May 2007

Several recent public opinion surveys have found that large majorities in most Muslim countries are hardening their views on the U.S.-led war on terrorism, which they say is endangering the security of the Islamic world. 

Steven Kull of the University of Maryland

Since the U.S.-led military action in Iraq in 2003, several public opinion surveys have shown that a growing number of Muslims around the world are wary¹ of the United States and its foreign policy goals.   For example, a 2005 Pew Research Center study found that in countries like Jordan, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey, which have close ties to the United States, solid majorities said they were concerned that the U.S. might become a military threat to their nations.  

According to a more recent survey by the University of Maryland, most people in Egypt, Pakistan, Morocco and Indonesia -- which account for about 300-million Muslims -- don't accept America's justification² for the war on terrorism. 

Instead of seeing it as strategy to fight those who pose a threat to the United States, 80 percent of the respondents say the U.S. wants to weaken and divide the Islamic world and about 64 percent say a U.S. goal is to spread Christianity throughout the region.

In short, Steven Kull, Director of the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes, says large majorities across these countries fear the U.S. is at war with their faith.

"There is a clear feeling in this part of the world that Islam has been targeted as a whole and that ultimately there is a real desire to eliminate Islam,” says Kull. “We also asked, 'Is it America's goal to weaken Islam as a religion so that it will not grow and challenge the Western way of life?'  Very large majorities agreed with that statement."

Support for Attacks on U.S. Forces

One of the goals of the survey, which was partly funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was to find out how much support anti-American terrorist groups, such as al-Qaida, have in those nations. 

Most of the respondents said that they consider terrorism a serious challenge.  The highest level of concern was in Pakistan where 83 percent said terrorism is a very big problem.  Two-thirds of Indonesians said the same and 62 percent of Egyptians agreed. 

Significant majorities in all four countries strongly reject violence against civilians³, such as bombings and assassinations⁴, says pollster Steven Kull.

"In the focus groups,” he adds, “people really wanted to say and said it passionately⁵ that Islam is not violent.  Islam does not support attacks on civilians.  Majorities in every country said that such attacks are not justified⁶ at all.  We also asked whether attacks against civilians in conflict are effective.  With the exception of Egypt, the most common answer is that they are hardly ever effective."

But at the same time, Kull notes, large majorities support attacks on U.S. troops and many support goals they attribute to al-Qaida -- standing⁷ up to America in defense⁸ of Muslims, removing U.S. forces from all Islamic countries and pushing the United States to stop favoring Israel in its dealings with the Palestinians. 

Most pollsters agree that the Arab-Israeli conflict is the issue that matters most to Muslims around the world, especially in the Middle East.  

Arab-Israeli Tensions

Shibley Telhami of the Brookings Institution has conducted several public opinion polls in the Middle East since 2003.  He says a recent survey in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates shows that the issue holds the key to restoring America's image and influence in the region. 

"In the latest poll conducted in the six Arab countries, the question asked was: 'Which steps would improve your views of the U.S. most?' By far, the number one answer was brokering⁹ the Arab-Israeli peace based on the 1967 border.  More than 60 percent said that is the single issue that would affect the views of the U.S. most, and the second was the withdrawal¹⁰ of U.S. forces from the Middle East," notes Telhami. 

According to Christine Fair of the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention at the U.S. Institute of Peace the Israel-Palestinian conflict resonates as far as South Asia.

Christine Fair of the U.S. Institute of Peace

"I looked at the recruitment literature that Pakistani militant¹¹ organizations use and this is a consistent theme that animates¹² even groups that primarily see as their objective taking away Kashmir from India,” says Fair who adds that  the Israel-Palestinian issue animates a complex set of actors well beyond the Middle East.

Although surveys show that there is widespread support for strengthening the role of Islam in their societies, most Muslims disagree that violent conflict between the West and Islam is inevitable¹³.

But some public opinion surveys show that many Muslims are open to Western values, such as religious freedom and democracy. 

"Our polling has found Muslims consistently saying that Western-style democracy can work in their countries, and that's a good thing.  And despite the fact it is very difficult for them to say good things about the United States, they do tell us that the United States supports democracy in their country," says Andrew Kohut, President of the Pew Research Center in Washington.

Kohut and other experts point out that the many surveys of Muslim attitudes conducted since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, provide in-depth knowledge of Islamic societies, and show that their concerns are heard in the United States.

1 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

2 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

5 passionately   

ad.热烈地，激烈地

参考例句：

• She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。
• He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。

6 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 brokering   

v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的现在分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• Intertwined with these were rivalry, power brokering, and patronage. 然而也不乏有抗争、强权操纵与任命特权交织其中。 来自互联网
• Kingston Quest Can Assist Your Company In Negotiations, Brokering, Agency Services, Sourcing Factories Or Property. 金士顿追求，可帮助您的公司在谈判中，经纪，代理服务，货源工厂或财产。 来自互联网

10 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

11 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

12 animates   

v.使有生气( animate的第三人称单数 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命

参考例句：

• The soul animates the body. 灵魂使肉体有生命。 来自辞典例句
• It is probable that life animates all the planets revolving round all the stars. 生命为一切围绕恒星旋转的行星注入活力。 来自辞典例句

13 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。