How do Muslims worldwide think?

Daniel Pipes reports on the dismaying results of a world-wide poll on Muslim attitudes to the west.

A proclivity to conspiracy theories: In not one Muslim population polled does a majority believe that Arabs carried out the attacks of September 11, 2001, on America. The proportions range from a mere 15% in Pakistan holding Arabs responsible, to 48% among French Muslims. …….In other words, in every one of these 10 Muslim communities, a majority views September 11 as a hoax perpetrated by the American government, Israel, or some other agency.

Conspiracy theories also pertain to larger topics.

Asked, “What is most responsible for Muslim nations’ lack of prosperity?” between 14% (in Pakistan) and 43% (in Jordan) blame the policies of America and other Western states, as opposed to indigenous problems, such as a lack of democracy or education, or the presence of corruption or radical Islam.

Overall, the Pew survey sends an undeniable message of crisis from one end to the other of the Muslim world. I see no mention of polling done in Australia and wonder what the outcome would be. I’m not optimistic as it will most probably take another generation of Australian education to bring some of the locals out of the 12th century. Read Daniels take on the poll and the original Pew Poll report here. The Pew Report is a .pdf but worth the read.