Political Issues Key to Muslim-West Engagement; Those ready for engagement most often cite politics as root of tensions.
Byline: Magali Rheault
Synopsis: When asked about the root causes of Muslim-West tensions, individuals ready for Muslim-West engagement are more likely to attribute them to politics rather than religion or culture. Among those classified as "Ready," 46% in majority Muslim societies and 39% in Western countries say tensions stem from politics.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As President Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to improving relations with global Muslim communities during his Asia tour, Gallup findings underscore the need to address political issues. Irrespective of where they live, individuals who are ready for Muslim-West engagement say tensions between majority Muslim and Western societies stem from differences in political interests, rather than religion or culture.
Across 55 countries, spanning four continents, individuals are classified as either "Ready" or "Not Ready" for engagement based on their responses to questions about respect, conflict, commitment to improving relations, and the benefit or threat of interactions between Muslim and Western societies. Those who are Ready answered these questions affirmatively -- additional information about these questions and groupings is available at the end of this article. When asked about the root causes of Muslim-West tensions, those classified as "Ready" living in majority Muslim countries are far more likely to attribute them to political interests (46%) rather than religious (34%) or cultural (13%) differences. Similarly, Ready Western residents are more likely to cite politics (39%) than religion (30%) or culture (28%). However, those Not Ready for engagement are far more likely to say such tensions arise from religion, regardless of whether they live in a majority Muslim (55%) or Western (46%) country.
These findings are based on Gallup's latest report, "Measuring the State of Muslim-West Relations: Assessing the 'New Beginning.'" The report presents an in-depth analysis of Muslim-West relations -- one of the core themes outlined in Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, which Gallup published in 2008. In addition, "Assessing the 'New Beginning'" explores new dimensions of Muslim-West relations, such as the Ready vs. Not Ready groups, and proposes a set of recommendations for policymakers and civil society.
The findings also shatter some stereotypes about the demographic profiles of those who are or aren't ready for engagement. In Western societies, Ready...
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