Opinion Pols

Gallup, one of the largest research agency, has conducted number of public opinion survey on various issues pertaining to the Global Muslim community.
The Gallup Center for Muslim Studies is a research center dedicated to providing data-driven analysis, advice, and education on the views of Muslim populations around the world. It draws upon Gallup’s unprecedented global research initiative, the Gallup World Poll and the Gallup Poll of the Muslim World, to enable global leaders, institutions, and the public to make more informed decisions.
On its website www.gallupmuslimstudies.com, there are excerpts from numerous surveys converted into books, on the topics such as, ‘Islam and Democracy, Muslims and Americans: The Way Forward’, ‘Moderate vs. Extremist Views in the Muslim World’, ‘Perspectives of Women in the Muslim World’, ‘Muslims in Europe’ etc
Gallup employs many of the world’s leading scientists in management, economics, psychology, and sociology. The Gallup Poll has built its reputation on delivering research on what people around the world think and feel.
At the heart of Gallup business, is the Center for Muslim Studies which makes its research available through educational and consulting services, as well as through written publications. Its groundbreaking Gallup Poll of the Muslim World examines evidence-based analysis of contemporary trends addressed by the poll of Muslim populations. For the general public, the Center releases highlights from its study by hosting discussion forums and through special reports and articles available on Gallup’s Website.
Gallup’s Poll of the Muslim World asks Muslims about their beliefs regarding education, religion, democracy, culture, financial prosperity, and the media. Poll findings include insights into what Muslims think the West can do to improve relations with the world’s Muslim populations, and what they think Muslims can do to improve relations with the West.
Gallup’s latest study entitled “Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think,” reflects the views of 1.3 billion Muslims. A huge survey of the world’s Muslims released last month suggests that Western perceptions of Islam are wrong, showing that the overwhelming majority of Muslims condemn radicalism and cherish Western freedoms.
The survey, conducted by the Gallup polling agency over six years and three continents, seeks to dispel the belief held by some in the West that Islam itself is the driving force of radicalism.
The poll also showed Muslims admire the West for its democracy, freedom and technological prowess, but do not want Western ways forced on them.
The study, which Gallup says surveyed a sample equivalent to 90 per cent of the world’s Muslims, has given voice to Islam’s silent majority.
“A billion Muslims should be the ones that we look to, to understand what they believe, rather than a vocal minority,” said Dalia Mogadeh, director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and co-author of the book “Who Speaks for Islam,” which grew out of the study. It showed that widespread religiosity “does not translate into widespread support for terrorism,” she said.
The survey shows that the overwhelming majority of Muslims about 93 per cent of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims condemned the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001 and other subsequent terrorist attacks, the authors of the study said in Washington.
Moderate Muslims condemned the 9/11 attacks 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 the humanity,” she said.
The survey now available in the form of a book is based on six years of research and more than 50,000 interviews conducted in more than 35 predominantly Muslim nations or nations with sizable Muslim populations.
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 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,” said Esposito, a professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University in Washington.
“Muslims want self-determination, but not an American-imposed and defined democracy. They don’t want secularism or theocracy. What the majority wants is democracy with religious values,” said Esposito.