What percentage of Muslims support terrorism?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I vote for 10-20%.

There's probably a knee-jerk reaction where most people will say less than 1% Well, that number is obviously much smaller in Western countries. Because aside from sleeper cell terrorists who will probably keep to themselves, no terrorist supporting Muslim would move to one. Why would they come to a country they consider the Great Satan?

Since these Muslims are the only ones that most people in Western countries, most people get the idea that "the vast majority of Muslims are good people that don't support terrorism." True in the US and true for the most part in Europe. But I really doubt that's true off in the Middle East. Otherwise Hezbollah wouldn't do fairly well in Lebanese elections. Iran's new president wouldn't have won in a landslide. And Algeria's first democratic elections wouldn't have been certain to be won by a radical Islamist party before the military threw a coup and canceled them.

10-20% still leaves 80-90% that don't. So no, the vast majority of Muslims do not support terrorism. But that doesn't mean  your Muslim neighbor or Muslim coworker are representative of every one in the Middle East.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Over here? Under 5%. Sadly there's a tendency for a lot to turn a blind eye to Palestinian terrorism and try to pretend that it isn't really happening etc. but that's no different to what a lot of Irish Americans did in the '70's and '80's.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Over here?

in the entire world.

[MaC]

5-10%, although I'd say the majority has an unfavorable veiw of America.

[A18]

In the world, I have no clue. Here, not many.

[??????????]

34-50%. And that's those who publicly applaud terrorists. In private probably quite a bit higher.

[dazzleman]

There are different levels of support.

I'd say a good number support it to at least some degree.  This tacit support shows up in the unwillingness of the supposed majority of Muslims to take their religion back from the extremists who have defined them.

Most Muslims certainly wouldn't directly engage in terrorism, but a disquietingly high percentage wouldn't go out of their way to fight it either, and as such, it is very logical to hold deep, dark suspicions (as I do) about the sympathies and beliefs of Muslims in general on the terrorism issue.

[Nation]

I think a lot more are more sympathetic towards terrorism against Israel than against the US. It can't be identical for support towards every type of terrorism -- there has to be degrees of support.

[dazzleman]

I think a lot more are more sympathetic towards terrorism against Israel than against the US. It can't be identical for support towards every type of terrorism -- there has to be degrees of support.

There are degrees of support.  If you include the lowest degree of support -- which consists of unwillingness to engage in the activity yourself, but not being too upset if someone else does -- I think a disquietly high percentage of Muslims support terrorism.

There is an undertone of this in most of the muslim "condemnations" of terrorism.  They usually slip in somehow that they support the goals of terrorism, but not the means.  And the lack of support for the means is half-hearted, at best.

[Ebowed]

10%-20%.

[phk]

In the US, very low.

Middle East, quite high.

[afleitch]

Agreed.

USA-  Less than 5% because you instill a sense of national pride into all races and creeds

UK- 10-15%...because we don't

Egypt 20-25%

Palestine 60% + because they have an enormous chip on their shoulder and push their own children infront of Israeli soldiers so they can make the international headlines.

[DanielX]

20-33% in general... in some countries soaring to 50+%.

[John Dibble]

5-10%, although I'd say the majority has an unfavorable veiw of America.

[Lunar]

As Fareed Zakaria recently pointed out, the perception will always be that there are more terrorists than in reality.

Using the latest CIA World Factbook estimates (my calculations), if a mere 1% of Muslims support terrorism, that's 12.8 million people.  If .01% of Muslims actively and violently support terrorism, that's over 120,000 militants that'll be attacking our soldiers and citizens.

[Gustaf]

I voted 20-33%. And that would be those who support terrorist deeds against ISrael, the US etc.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What per cent of so called "Christians" support terrorism?

Irrelevant to the question at hand.

And let's not forget what Robertson and Falwell said immediately after 9-11-1

It was incredibly stupid and they both are ing morons. It's also irrelevant to the question at hand.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

As Fareed Zakaria recently pointed out, the perception will always be that there are more terrorists than in reality.

Using the latest CIA World Factbook estimates (my calculations), if a mere 1% of Muslims support terrorism, that's 12.8 million people.  If .01% of Muslims actively and violently support terrorism, that's over 120,000 militants that'll be attacking our soldiers and citizens.

If the number is only 1 or less, how does Hezbollah win elections then? How did the Islamic Salvation Front almost win control of Algeria's government?

[Lunar]

As Fareed Zakaria recently pointed out, the perception will always be that there are more terrorists than in reality.

Using the latest CIA World Factbook estimates (my calculations), if a mere 1% of Muslims support terrorism, that's 12.8 million people.  If .01% of Muslims actively and violently support terrorism, that's over 120,000 militants that'll be attacking our soldiers and citizens.

If the number is only 1 or less, how does Hezbollah win elections then? How did the Islamic Salvation Front almost win control of Algeria's government?

The Islamic Salvation Front was a fundamentalist organization, which is not the same thing as a terrorist one.  As to how Hezbollah wins elections, it's quite simple: many Palestinians will support whatever party is the most anti-Israel (which is not the same thing as supporting the concept of bus bombings, but enough to cause them to ignore them).  I'm not defending either, but please remember that these issues have depth.

I never said it was 1%.  I do think it's important to consider only the tinest percent support terrorism enough to take part in its violence.  Obviously the issue is complex, since it's confusing as to what qualifies as passive support.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The Islamic Salvation Front was a fundamentalist organization, which is not the same thing as a terrorist one. 

What did they do when the election was canceled?

As to how Hezbollah wins elections, it's quite simple: many Palestinians will support whatever party is the most anti-Israel

Hezbollah doesn't run in Palestine.

[Colin]

As to how Hezbollah wins elections, it's quite simple: many Palestinians will support whatever party is the most anti-Israel

Hezbollah doesn't run in Palestine.

Palestinians are a group of people who are spread out over many different countries at this time. Their are currently Palestinians living in Lebanon, Jordan (which has a Palestinian majority), Syria, and Egypt. Palestinians are a sub-group of the Arab ethnicity. They are/were a group of tribes living in the region of the Jordan River and do to displacement due to the current situation in Israel have moved farther afield to areas like Egypt. Also hatred of Israel is very strong with other non-Palestinian groups in Israel, especially in the formerly occupied South, so the same applies.

[Everett]

What per cent of so called "Christians" support terrorism?
And let's not forget what Robertson and Falwell said immediately after 9-11-1

I would think that a lot of Christians disapprove of those... frauds. Mr 'godhatesfags' certainly isn't popular around many Christians and Catholics here. Heck, practically everyone I can think of believes he's an f-ing maniac who's preaching the complete opposite of what the Bible says. When was the last time that a group of Christian militants caused terrorist attacks in the name of their religion? Compare that to the number of times that Islamic extremists engage in terrorist attacks in the name of Allah.

I don't know if this is correct (BRTD can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), but BRTD is/was Christian. I don't think he agrees with obnoxious 'Christian' frauds. Neither do a lot of Christians.


Anyway, it's hard to determine even an approximate percentage because, as others have already mentioned, not engaging in terrorism yourself but failing to disagree and not being disinclined to protest attacks made by your Muslim brethren when the time calls for it (such as, well, right now?) may still count as a passive form of support. Perhaps if there was an outcry from angry Muslims who strongly disapproved of Islamic extremists, there would be less doubt about whether or not they support terrorism. The religion appears to endorce violence against people of non-Islamic faiths; whether or not these followers take their Koran literally is beyond my knowledge, but while it's wrong to assume that all Muslims take their Koran very literally and follow every sexist, violent, chauvinistic, outdated tradition in their book, it's also naive to assume that only the tiniest fraction of them 'support' terrorism. Passive support is still support, and that's a problem. Terrorism is unfortunately a very black-and-white topic. Either you support terrorism, or you don't. If you don't really support terrorism when performed by yourself but don't really care if others cause terrorist attacks, you're still a supporter of terrorism. It's not one of those things that you can just let slide; if you don't disapprove of it, you are basically saying that you approve of it.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I don't know if this is correct (BRTD can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), but BRTD is Christian.

correct.

[??????????]

As Fareed Zakaria recently pointed out, the perception will always be that there are more terrorists than in reality.

Using the latest CIA World Factbook estimates (my calculations), if a mere 1% of Muslims support terrorism, that's 12.8 million people.  If .01% of Muslims actively and violently support terrorism, that's over 120,000 militants that'll be attacking our soldiers and citizens.

1%? LOL That number is way off. You don't know what kind of hate they are teaching in their mosques. That whole disgusting Koran is filled with violence towards women, children and non believers.

[Gustaf]

As Fareed Zakaria recently pointed out, the perception will always be that there are more terrorists than in reality.

Using the latest CIA World Factbook estimates (my calculations), if a mere 1% of Muslims support terrorism, that's 12.8 million people.  If .01% of Muslims actively and violently support terrorism, that's over 120,000 militants that'll be attacking our soldiers and citizens.

1%? LOL That number is way off. You don't know what kind of hate they are teaching in their mosques. That whole disgusting Koran is filled with violence towards women, children and non believers.

Have you ever been in a mosque? Or have you read the Koran?