Survey: Anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim feelings growing across Europe, world

[Behind the Aegis]

Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish feelings are rising in several major European countries, according to a worldwide survey released on Wednesday.

The Washington-based Pew Research Center's global attitude survey found that most Muslims in countries where they are in the majority worry about the rise of Islamic extremism at home and abroad. Majorities held that view in Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Nigeria.

Large numbers of respondents in several Muslim countries also identified struggles within their countries between people who want to modernize the
society and those dedicated to maintaining fundamentalist practices of Islam.

Regarding respondents' attitudes toward Jews, Britain was the survey's only European country to report no significant increase in anti-Jewish attitudes.

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[Behind the Aegis]

1. How the system is abused.

From "must read" to "skip it." Gee, I wonder how many (at this time, 3) voted on the actual post as opposed to the poster.

[salvorhardin]

2. Interesting results

The survey found that people who held anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim views tended to be older and less-educated than those who did not. Surveyors bundled France, Germany and Spain, the Western European countries where such views were most common, to draw a picture of those holding ethnic-based negative attitudes. They found that most anti-Semitic people were anti-Muslim as well.

People ages 50 and older express more negative views of both Jews and Muslims than do those younger than 50, the survey said. Similarly, Europeans who have not attended college are consistently more likely than those who have to hold unfavorable opinions of both groups. They also tend to support the political right in Europe, it said.

So, in Europe, the political right takes advantage of older voters (who likely fear change) and the uneducated or less educated.

Also...

Despite the increase in anti-Jewish sentiment in Europe, the deepest
resentment of Jews exists outside Europe, especially where Muslims predominate. Favorable opinions of Jews rank in the single digits in Turkey, Egypt,Jordan, Lebanon and Pakistan.

Not surprising because of state-run anti-Jewish propaganda campaigns by radical-Islamic regimes.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Interesting; and goes along with my impressions.

'The Washington-based Pew Research Center's global attitude survey found that most Muslims in countries where they are in the majority worry about the rise of Islamic extremism at home and abroad. Majorities held that view in Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Nigeria.

Large numbers of respondents in several Muslim countries also identified struggles within their countries between people who want to modernize the
society and those dedicated to maintaining fundamentalist practices of Islam.'

None of this surprises me - especially as I know people from Pakistan in particular, and hear about the problems and struggles there.

'Regarding respondents' attitudes toward Jews, Britain was the survey's only European country to report no significant increase in anti-Jewish attitudes.

Just under one in 10 British respondents held those views.'



This definitely fits with my experience. Antisemitism is a problem in Britain as everywhere; but it's not a massive one, and I definitely have the impression that many other parts of Europe are worse in this respect.



'Again, the United States and Britain had the fewest respondents holding
negative views of Muslims, both 23 percent. In Britain that was up from 18percent in 2004, and it was down in the United States from 31 percent in 2004.'

Once again, this goes with my observations. Islamophobia and religious prejudice in general are probably less extreme in most parts of Britain than in many other places. This doesn't mean that Britain is a paradise of tolerance; my country suffers from severe bigotry against *immigrants* and their descendants, and religious prejudices tend to be secondary to this. Islamophobia here tends IMO to be secondary to ant-immigrant bigotry; bigots tend not so much to hate Muslim immigrants because of their religion, as to hate Islam because some immigrants practice it.


'The survey found that people who held anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim views tended to be older and less-educated than those who did not.'

Definitely; there are a number of studies that show that education is associated with greater social liberalism and in particular with much less support for racism and for far-right parties.

'They found that most anti-Semitic people were anti-Muslim as well.'

A most important point. There are stereotypes outside of Europe that imply that antisemitism is mainly due to Muslims and those who 'pander' to them, or that Jews or 'Zionists' are particularly Islamophobic. In fact, antisemitism and Islamophobia do tend to go together and to be associated with general xenophobia. Far-right Europaean parties, such as the BNP here and LePen's party in France, are hostile to both Jews and Muslims, as well as 'immigrants' more generally.

The survey also said positive attitudes toward Osama bin Laden have declined in several countries but the al Qaeda leader still enjoys high support in Nigeria, Indonesia and Pakistan.

The survey found much more positive views prevailed in most places about
Christians.

'Favorable opinions of Jews rank in the single digits in Turkey, Egypt,Jordan, Lebanon and Pakistan.'

I am not surprised with regard to the last four of these countries, especially the Middle Eastern countries where there is a strong anti-Jewish propaganda machine. I am surprised and disappointed about Turkey however.