Residents of the countries included in Gallup’s new survey of the Islamic world are keenly aware of the war on terrorism, including the U.S.-led military actions in Afghanistan that followed the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. In six of the countries included in the study -- Iran, Pakistan, Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey, and Morocco -- respondents are more attuned to news about Afghanistan than to news about the Sept. 11 attacks themselves.
People living in Islamic countries do not endorse the view that the Sept. 11 attacks were morally justifiable. But at the same time, one of the most striking findings in this study is the degree to which the U.S. military actions in Afghanistan are also perceived as morally unjustifiable.
In every nation in which this question was asked, including Turkey, a majority of those interviewed express the view that the American military action is either largely or completely unjustifiable. And in every nation except Turkey, a majority of respondents give this question a "1" rating, indicating their view that the U.S. military response is "totally unjustifiable morally."
In five of the nations, more respondents actually view the U.S. military actions in Afghanistan as largely or totally unjustifiable than voice this same judgment regarding the attacks of Sept. 11. This is the case in Kuwait (69% versus 37%), Pakistan (80% versus 61%), Morocco (86 % versus 70%), Iran (78% versus 67%), and Indonesia (89% versus 85%). In Lebanon, condemnation is nearly evenly apportioned (68% versus 70%). Only in Turkey is this pattern reversed (60% versus 77%).
Views on U.S. Motives Range From Al Qaeda to Uranium
If the residents of these predominantly Islamic countries are so strongly opposed to the military actions in Afghanistan, why do they believe the United States and its allies are fighting there? To answer that question, respondents were asked in straightforward fashion: "Why do you think the U.S.A. is taking military action in Afghanistan?"
The answers include references to the standard explanation for the attacks put forth by the United States and its allies -- that the military actions are in direct response to the Sept. 11 attacks and are based on the desire to destroy al Qaeda and capture Osama bin Laden.
But there are a variety of other perceptions for the U.S. motivation that stray far from the standard U.S. line. The unprompted, top-of-mind explanations volunteered by respondents in this poll include perceptions that the United States:
- is attempting to extend its control in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and Islamic countries
- wants to start a war against Muslims and Arabs
- wants to gain control of Afghanistan’s natural resources, including uranium
- wants to establish political control in Central Asia
For residents of four nations -- Turkey (31%), Indonesia (35%), Pakistan (26%), and Morocco (25%) -- the explanation mentioned most often is the standard U.S. explanation for the military response. But in Kuwait, the most frequent explanation is that the military actions are the result of a U.S. desire to extend its control in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, or Central Asia. Additionally, at least one in five Kuwaitis believes that the military actions are the result of a U.S. desire to wage a more general war against Muslims and Arabs.
Among Iranians, the motive most often ascribed is the desire to extend U.S. power and control within the region. Roughly one in every five Lebanese sees the U.S.-led action as motivated by a desire to gain control over Afghanistan’s natural resources.
