Monday, July 16, 2012

Beware of Polls (and People Unpacking Poll Results) Claiming that Muslims Want Democracy, Too

Why the warning? Because when they say they want democracy, that doesn't necessarily mean they want Western-style liberty/freedom/rule of law:
Recent statistics show Muslims in the Middle East believe democracy is the best form of government, but would like Islam to play a part in government as well, a recent Pew poll shows.

The study was conducted more than a year after the Arab Spring by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, March 19 through April 20 of 2012, in Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, and Pakistan.

It confirmed of the majority of those polled (and a plurality of Pakistanis) most would prefer typical democratic practices such as multiparty elections and freedom of speech, but also voiced support for a substantial role for Islam in politics...
See what I mean?

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