Pakistanis opposed to suicide bombings

An opinion poll has shown that Pakistanis do not support suicide bombings that target civilians in the name of religion.

According to the poll, released earlier this week by the Pew Research Centre in Washington, only 5 per cent of Muslims said they believed these kinds of attacks could often or sometimes be justified. As recently as 2004 roughly four-in-ten (41 per cent) held this view.

Almost 87 per cent said such attacks could never be justified – the highest percentage among the Muslim publics included in the 2009 survey.

Long-running concerns about India were also reflected in the poll. The dispute between Pakistan and India over Kashmir was cited as a major problem facing the country by no fewer than 88 per cent. And growing worries about extremism notwithstanding, more Pakistanis judged India as a very serious threat to the nation (69 per cent) than regard the Taliban (57 per cent) or Al Qaeda (41 per cent) as very serious threats.

Most Pakistanis saw the US as on the wrong side of this issue: by a margin of 54 per cent to 4 per cent the US was seen as favouring India over Pakistan.

Analysis of the survey data found a number of important patterns regarding views of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

First, both groups were unpopular across the board. Among all the major subgroups within Pakistani society analysed in the study, negative views of the Taliban and Al Qaeda outweighed positive views.

Second, support for both groups was low even among those who agreed with some of the severe punishments endorsed by the Taliban and Al Qaeda, such as stoning adulterers, cutting off the hands of thieves, and executing people who leave Islam.

Still, those who disagreed with these harsh measures were somewhat more likely to express an unfavourable view of both groups. For instance, among Pakistanis who supported the death penalty for people who leave Islam, 69 per cent had a negative view of the Taliban, while 77 per cent of those who opposed the death penalty in such cases gave the Taliban a negative rating. Third, education played a role in views about extremism. Pakistanis with higher levels of education were consistently more likely to reject the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Fourth, the Taliban and Al Qaeda tended to be unpopular across regions, including the NWFP, where government forces were currently fighting extremist groups.

Sindh stood out as the region with the most negative views. For example, 82 per cent in Sindh had a negative opinion of the Taliban, compared with 75 per cent in the NWFP and 67 per cent in Punjab. More than half in Balochistan did not offer opinions about the Taliban or Al Qaeda.

Fifth, views about the Taliban were linked to the extent to which people believed the country was threatened by extremist groups. Analysis of the data showed that people who thought extremist groups might be able to seize control of the country were more likely to voice negative views about the Taliban.

One of the ironies in the survey is the extent to which Pakistanis embrace some of the severe laws associated with the Taliban and Al Qaeda, even as they reject religious extremism and these extremist groups.

The new poll found broad support for harsh punishments: 78 per cent favoured death for those who leave Islam; 80 per cent favoured whippings and chopping off hands for crimes like theft and robbery; and 83 per cent favoured stoning adulterers.

Pakistani public opinion departed significantly from the Taliban on the issues of girls’ education and extremist violence, with 87 per cent saying they believed it’s equally important for boys and girls to be educated.