Wait, You Still Don’t Like Us?
While the image of the United States has improved throughout many parts of the world during Barack Obama’s presidency, negative views of America remain stubbornly persistent in key Muslim countries. Much of this animosity is due to continuing concerns about U.S. power and widespread opposition to major elements of American foreign policy.
Muslim-Western Tensions Persist
Muslim and Western publics continue to largely agree that relations between them are poor, and disagree about who is at fault – Muslims largely blame Westerners, while those in the West generally blame Muslims. However, in both Western and predominantly Muslim nations, there is a shared concern about the threat posed by Islamic extremism.
Widespread Support For Banning Full Islamic Veil in Western Europe
The French public overwhelmingly endorses a ban on full Islamic veils in public places, and majorities in other Western European nations surveyed would also welcome such a ban in their countries. In contrast, most Americans would oppose prohibiting Muslim women from wearing full veils in public.
Obamamania Missing in Muslim World
Only Modest Changes in U.S. Image in Predominantly Muslim Countries
Global Public Opinion in the Bush Years (2001-2008)
Once he takes office, President-elect Barack Obama will have to navigate a world that has grown highly critical of the United States. Since 2001, the Pew Global Attitudes Project has documented a decline in America’s international image amid widespread opposition to U.S. foreign policy.
Unfavorable Views of Jews and Muslims on the Increase in Europe
Growing numbers of people in several major European countries say they have an unfavorable opinion of Jews, and opinions of Muslims also are more negative than they were several years ago. These findings are from a new Pew Global Attitudes Project report, based on data gathered from 24 countries from regions throughout the world, that examine worldwide religiosity and take a close look at Muslim publics’ attitudes toward terrorism, Osama bin Laden, Hamas, Hezbollah and more.
All the World’s a Stage
Views of the U.S. in the Muslim World (from The National Interest)
Karen Hughes’ Uphill Battle
Foreign Policy, Not Public Diplomacy, Mostly Determines How the World Views America
Widespread Negativity: Muslims Distrust Westerners More than Vice Versa
Westerners and Muslims Associate a Variety of Negative Traits With One Another
Turkey and Its (Many) Discontents
The Turkish Public’s Opinions of America Have Hit Rock Bottom
Turkey: Troubled Terrain for Pope Benedict
The Pontiff Visits a Country Where Negative Views of Christians and the West Are on the Rise
Europeans Debate the Scarf and the Veil
Except in France, most Muslim women choose to cover their heads — but many among the general public disapprove
Bush Visits Indonesia
President travels to a country with volatile views of U.S.
The French-Muslim Connection
Is France Doing a Better Job of Integration than Its Critics?
In Great Britain, Muslims Worry About Islamic Extremism
Concerns Pre-Date Airplane Plot
Islam and the West: Searching for Common Ground
Remarks of Andrew Kohut to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing
Muslims in Europe: Economic Worries Top Concerns About Religious and Cultural Identity
Few Signs of Backlash From Western Europeans
The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other
After a year marked by riots over cartoon portrayals of Muhammad, a major terrorist attack in London, and continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, most Muslims and Westerners see relations between them as generally bad.
America’s Image Slips, But Allies Share U.S. Concerns Over Iran, Hamas
America’s global image has again slipped and support for the war on terrorism has declined even among close U.S. allies like Japan. The war in Iraq is a continuing drag on opinions of the United States, not only in predominantly Muslim countries but in Europe and Asia as well. And despite growing concern over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the U.S. presence in Iraq is cited at least as often as Iran – and in many countries much more often – as a danger to world peace.
How the United States is Perceived in the Arab and Muslim Worlds
Testimony of Andrew Kohut, U.S. House International Relations Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics
Concerns over Islamic extremism, extensive in the West even before this month’s terrorist attacks in London, are shared to a considerable degree by the publics in several predominantly Muslim nations surveyed.
U.S. Image Up Slightly, But Still Negative
Anti-Americanism in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, which surged as a result of the U.S. war in Iraq, shows modest signs of abating. But the United States remains broadly disliked in most countries surveyed, and the opinion of the American people is not as positive as it once was.
Iraqi Vote Mirrors Desire for Democracy in Muslim World
A Pew Global Attitudes Project commentary
American Public Diplomacy in the Islamic World
Remarks of Andrew Kohut to The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing
International Surveys: What We Are Finding
In the aftermath of Sept. 11, the Pew Research Center and several other major survey organizations have conducted a number of international polls. These surveys have been illuminating, showing a vast opinion gulf between the American public and people elsewhere. Yet they also reveal, surprisingly, the ways in which the United States is admired around […]