George W Bush...Winning Hearts and Minds in the Muslim World. Muslim Support for Bin Laden Falls, Poll Says Thursday, July 14, 2005 WASHINGTON — People in several heavily Muslim countries have lost some of their enthusiasm for Usama bin Laden and for violent acts like terror bombings, especially in countries where there have been recent terrorist acts, international polling found. Surveys conducted for the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press looked at attitudes of people living in Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan and Turkey, all countries with Muslim majorities, as part of an international survey of 17 countries done this spring. In Lebanon, the number of people who think the use of bombings and other forms of violence is justified in defense of Islam has dropped from 73 percent in the summer of 2002 to 39 percent now. A decrease in this number also was seen in Morocco, which fell from 40 percent a year ago to 13 percent now, and in Pakistan and Indonesia. In Jordan, the number of people who feel such violence is justified has grown slightly; the number in Turkey remains very low. Since March 2004, the sentiment for bombings against Americans and their allies in Iraq dropped from 70 percent to 49 percent in Jordan, which neighbors Iraq, and dropped by smaller margins in Pakistan, Turkey and Morocco.
Notice how folks posting begin to shift story from the message to the messenger! This happens quite a bit hereabouts! This declining support for Bin Laden is good news -- great news! We need to amplify this rejection of terrorism sentiment throughout the Mideast... pictures of dead Londoners as a result of recent terrorism should be distributed throughout the Muslim world so they receive images of what terrorist leads to....
Most of them can probably look to closer examples to see what terrorism leads to....but don't let me get in the way of another "contribution" from you.
This is great news, but the above statement is of course assinine. The United States remains broadly unpopular in those heavily Muslim countries. Solid majorities of the people in Lebanon, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan and Indonesia have an unfavorable view of the United States, while Moroccans are split. Young people in Morocco, Lebanon, Pakistan and Turkey view America more favorably than the overall populations in those countries, the polling found. People in the countries polled are sick of the violence in their countries the same way we aren't particularly fond of violence against us. Ian, you are a part of a subset of Americans that need to understand that people living in Jordan and Lebanon and Morroco and Turkey do not have their lives devouted to the great debate about the US. Just because they reject our enemy does not mean that they embrace us. It does mean that there is an incredible opportunity for us to strengthen our relationships.
I'm surprised that Jesus had time to sit for a portrait considering his busy schedule. I was watching a Discovery program one time about how many researchers believe that Jesus looked nothing like that. Considering his occupation, ethnicity, and climate, he was probably shorter, a little more round, and ruddy. Maybe something like this: You're welcome to shrink the pic and use it for your avatar, ITN.
Bad news for Bin Laden does not equal good news for BushCo. It is good, however, that many Muslims are cutting back on the insta-martyr kool-aid.
P.S. I do think that ITN's updated sig is a bit over the top. Liberals' bloodlust? Oh, please. Is there a ********ing ignore button on this board? I'm not reading his trolling crap anymore.
http://indyweek.com/durham/2000-08-30/triangles2.html I'm wondering how many of the people begging for the 10 commandments posted in courtrooms would react if liberals said sure - as long as you throw in a black jesus mural too...
Bush is supposed to have all of Islam hating the US. That is why I voted for him. He is screwing us out of the holy war I so desperately want. Damn him. I should have voted for Kerry.