Since 9-11, ignorance has reigned supreme when it comes to the question of what Muslims truly believe. Worse, right wing zealots have taken advantage of that chasm to stoke fear and condemnation. Of course, the media have played a role as well, given that Muslims don’t make the news except in a militant context. Over time, all of this has created an incredibly distorted conventional view about the Muslim mind and lifestyle.
Personally, I have spent many hours arguing with morons who make outlandish statements on this count – i.e., most Muslims are terrorists who discount human rights, etc. We’ve all heard variations of this device in conversation. For leverage, I have been searching for a comprehensive study of what Muslims really think, some clear empirical prism that can help us see through the fog.
Well, I finally came across this:
In 2009 (I think) Gallup completed an extensive international survey of Muslims.
As part of this groundbreaking six-year project, Gallup conducted tens of thousands of interviews with residents in 35 predominantly Muslim nations, as well as smaller populations in Europe and the USA. The broad extent of the polling has delivered findings for the world's 1.4 billion Muslims with a plus or minus accuracy of 3%
Focused on the issues of Gender Justice, Terrorism, and Democracy -the film presents this remarkable data deftly, showing how it challenges the popular notion that Muslims and the West are on a collision course. Like the research, the film highlights a shared relationship that is based on facts - not fear.
I realize this video has been out a few years, but if I missed it, I’m guessing others have as well. It’s not perfect and it doesn’t answer everything, but this project should go a long way toward marginalizing the hate mongers out there, imo. Please take the time to watch the movie if you haven’t already.