Times They Are a Changing

Via Outside the Beltway

In what can only be described as a tremendous turn of events, the US Tsunami relief may be paying dividends beyond all expectation. The continual positive events in the Muslim world may have finally taken hold and the premise that the USA may not be as evil as many Muslim extremists have preached. In fact the US may have their best interest at heart after all.

Poll: Major Change of Public Opinion in Muslim World

WASHINGTON, March 4 /PRNewswire/ — In the first substantial shift of public opinion in the Muslim world since the beginning of the United States’ global war on terrorism, more people in the world’s largest Muslim country now favor American efforts against terrorism than oppose them. This is just one of many dramatic findings of a new nationwide poll in Indonesia released today.

“In a stunning turnaround of public opinion, support for Bin Laden and terrorism in the world’s most populous Muslim nation has dropped significantly, while favorable views of the United States have increased,” said Kenneth Ballen, President of Terror Free Tomorrow, which commissioned the poll. “The poll shows that the reason for this positive change is the American response to the tsunami,” Ballen added.

Key Findings of the Poll:

* For the first time ever in a major Muslim nation, more people favor US-led efforts to fight terrorism than oppose them (40% to 36%). Importantly, those who oppose US efforts against terrorism have declined by half, from 72% in 2003 to just 36% today.

* For the first time ever in a Muslim nation since 9/11, support for Osama Bin Laden has dropped significantly (58% favorable to just 23%).

* 65% of Indonesians now are more favorable to the United States because of the American response to the tsunami, with the highest percentage among people under 30.

* Indeed, 71% of the people who express confidence in Bin Laden are now more favorable to the United States because of American aid to tsunami victims.

The Terror Free Tomorrow poll was conducted in February by the leading Indonesian pollster, Lembaga Survei Indonesia, and surveyed 1,200 adults nationwide with a margin of error of (+ or -) 2.9 percentage points.

One must also wonder whether there is a confluence of events that have created these feeling rather than just the singular effort of humanitarian Tsunami aide. The past terrorism events in Bali and in Indonesia may have created an atmosphere where Muslims question the motives of the Muslim terrorists in targeting their own people. The continual terrorist attacks in Jakarta may also have an eroding effect of the popularity of Muslim extremists and Osama Bin Laden. Also the images of Iraqi’s voting in a Democratic election may have also changed some hearts and minds.

Whether it is one event or a series of them it is more good news for America and the George W. Bush Administration

Hat Tip: Proud To Be A Canadian via Bill Strong

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