For instance, while solid majorities support the idea of women’s employment, majorities also believe that men have more of a right to jobs when unemployment is high. Half or more in four of the countries say men make better political leaders than women. And in three of five nations, half or more believe women’s families should have a say over who they marry.

Across the nations surveyed, women are consistently more likely than men to embrace equality. Supporters of equal rights generally say more changes are needed to achieve gender parity.

Support for Principle of Equality

Broad majorities endorse equality between men and women. More than eight-in-ten in Lebanon and Turkey express support for equal rights, along with roughly three-quarters in Pakistan and Tunisia. Support is lower in Jordan and Egypt, although about six-in-ten still say there should be equality between the sexes.

Women are considerably more supportive of equal rights than men. With the exception of Turkey, where no gender differences emerge, there is at least a 10 percentage point gap between the sexes on this issue. For example, in Jordan, 82% of women support equality compared with just 44% of men. Similarly large differences are found in Pakistan (87% vs. 65%) and Tunisia (84% vs. 65%).

Support for Women’s Employment, but Men Have Priority

Solid majorities embrace the idea of women working outside the home, including more than eight-in-ten in Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkey.

Support is somewhat lower in Pakistan and Egypt. Still, at least six-in-ten in each country believe women should be able to work outside the home.

Pakistani views on this issue are divided sharply along gender lines; 88% of women support women’s employment, while just 46% of men agree.

Despite embracing the idea of women working outside the home, many believe that men should be first in line when employment is scarce. Roughly eight-in-ten or more in Tunisia, Pakistan and Egypt agree that men have a greater right to jobs when unemployment is high. Two-thirds in Turkey and Jordan say the same. In Lebanon, the public is divided on this question.

Men are generally more likely than women to agree that scarce jobs should go first to men, although majorities of women in five countries share this view. The gender gap is most pronounced in Jordan (+21 percentage points) and Pakistan (+20). A double-digit gap is also evident in Lebanon (+12).

Men Are Better Political Leaders

When it comes to political office, many believe men are better suited for the job. Half or more in Tunisia, Pakistan, Turkey and Jordan say men make better political leaders.

In Egypt, the public is divided on this question: 42% say men are better, while 39% think women are equally capable; 16% say women make better leaders. Lebanon is the only country where more than half (54%) believe that men and women are equals in the political arena.

Men are much more likely than women to say that men make better political leaders, while women are more likely than men to say that both sexes are equal. For example, in Lebanon, 45% of men choose men as better suited for politics while just 20% of women do so. The gender gap is also high in Tunisia (+17 percentage points), Jordan (+14), Turkey (+13) and Pakistan (+10). There is no difference between men and women in Egypt on this issue.

In most of the countries surveyed in both 2007 and 2012, there has been little change in opinions on this topic. Turks, however, are much more likely now to say men are better political leaders than they were in 2007 (52% vs. 34%); five years ago, 51% said men and women were equally effective in politics. More religious Turkish Muslims are especially likely to see men as better political leaders – 65% of those who pray five times a day share this view, compared with 48% of those who pray less frequently. In addition, those who are supporters of the AKP, the ruling party headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are more likely than those who support the more secular CHP party to believe men are more effective (62% vs. 40%, respectively).

Should Women Choose Their Own Husbands?

Attitudes are mixed on whether women should be the primary decision-makers in choosing their partners. Broad majorities in Tunisia and Turkey believe that a woman, rather than her family, should choose her husband.

In Lebanon, the public is divided: almost half (47%) say women should be able to pick their future partners, while a roughly equal percentage (46%) believe women and their families should both participate in the decision.

About half in Jordan (49%) volunteer that both the woman and her family should have a say, while 26% believes the woman should choose. Pakistan is the only country where a majority (59%) thinks the family should choose a woman’s husband.

Unlike other measures of gender equality in the survey, there tend to be only minor differences between men and women on the topic of choosing a husband. The exception is Jordan, where 35% of women believe they should choose while just 17% of men say the same.

While there are few gender differences in Lebanon and Turkey on this topic, an age gap emerges there. Six-in-ten of those ages 18-to-29 in Lebanon believe a woman should choose her own husband, compared with 50% of those ages 30-to-49 and just 30% of people 50 and older. In Turkey, 70% of the youngest group say women should choose, while 65% in the middle group and 56% in the oldest group share this view.

Inequality Persists

Of those who support gender equality, many believe more changes need to be made in order to achieve parity between men and women in their country. Roughly six-in-ten of those in Egypt and Turkey who say women should have the same rights as men believe not enough has been done to achieve such equality. More than half of equal rights supporters in Pakistan and Lebanon say the same about their own country. In Jordan and Tunisia, on the other hand, about six-in-ten equal rights supporters are largely content with their nations’ advances toward equality.

Among backers of gender equality in Tunisia and Lebanon, women are more likely than men to believe more changes need to be made (+20 and +14 percentage points, respectively). By contrast, Egyptian women are less likely than men to say more progress needs to be made (52% vs. 70%).

Opinions about who has a better life – men or women – are mixed across the six countries surveyed. Pluralities in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon say that men and women are equally well off. Turkey is the only country where a plurality says men are doing better, while Tunisia is the only nation where a plurality thinks women are better off. The Pakistani public is divided between those who say men are better off (42%) and those who think life is the same for men and women in their country (38%).

Women are generally more likely to believe that men have an easier life. For example, in Turkey, 55% of women say men have a better life, while just 27% of men agree. Gender gaps of 10 percentage points or more also exist in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan.

More than a year after the first stirrings of the Arab Spring, there continues to be a strong desire for democracy in Arab and other predominantly Muslim nations. Solid majorities in Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan believe democracy is the best form of government, as do a plurality of Pakistanis.

Indeed, these publics do not just support the general notion of democracy – they also embrace specific features of a democratic system, such as competitive elections and free speech.

A substantial number in key Muslim countries want a large role for Islam in political life. However, there are significant differences over the degree to which the legal system should be based on Islam.

The United States is not seen as promoting democracy in the Middle East. In newly democratic Tunisia, only about three-in-ten believe the American response to the political upheaval in their country has had a positive impact.

Despite the tumult and uncertainty of the last year, views about democracy are mostly unchanged since 2011, although support has declined somewhat in Jordan. Enthusiasm for democracy tends to be generally less intense in Jordan and in Pakistan. It is consistently strong in Lebanon and Turkey.

While democratic rights and institutions are popular, they are clearly not the only priorities in the six Muslim majority nations surveyed. In particular, the economy is a top concern. And if they had to choose, most Jordanians, Tunisians and Pakistanis would rather have a strong economy than a good democracy. Turks and Lebanese, on the other hand, would prefer democracy. Egyptians are divided.

There is also a strong desire for Islam to play a major role in the public life of these nations, and most want Islam to have at least some influence on their country’s laws. Majorities in Pakistan, Jordan and Egypt believe laws should strictly follow the teachings of the Quran, while most Tunisians and a 44%-plurality of Turks want laws to be influenced by the values and principles of Islam, but not strictly follow the Quran.

About four-in-ten Lebanese say laws should not be influenced at all by the teachings of the Quran, although on this issue – as on many issues – views vary sharply along religious and sectarian lines. While 63% of Lebanese Christians and 38% of Sunni Muslims say laws should not be guided by the Quran, just 13% of Shia Muslims agree.

Just as opinions about religion and politics vary across these six nations, so do views about gender equality. Majorities in all six believe women should have equal rights as men, and more than eight-in-ten hold this view in Lebanon and Turkey. However, in Egypt – where the role of women in society has been a heavily debated issue throughout the post-Mubarak transition period – a slimmer 58%-majority favors equal rights, while 36% oppose the idea. Only 53% of Egyptian men endorse equal rights.

Moreover, while many support the general principle of gender equality, there is less enthusiasm for gender parity in politics, economics, and family life. For instance, many believe men make better political leaders, that men should have more of a right to a job than women when jobs are scarce, and that families should help choose a woman’s husband.

These are among the key findings from a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, conducted in six predominantly Muslim nations March 19 to April 20.¹ The poll, which is part of the broader 21-nation spring 2012 Global Attitudes survey, found considerable optimism – at least among Arab publics – about the prospects for democracy in the region. Solid majorities in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan and Lebanon said the 2011 popular uprising would lead to more democracy in the Middle East. Turks and Pakistanis, on the other hand, were less hopeful.

This report includes a special section on Tunisian public opinion (see Part II). In the nation where the Arab Spring began, large majorities say they are dissatisfied with the country’s direction and its economic situation. While Tunisians embrace their country’s nascent democracy, they are divided over whether things in their country have actually gotten better since long-running dictator President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali was forced from office. Still, most are hopeful about Tunisia’s future and optimistic that the economy will improve in the next 12 months. And despite the dissatisfaction with current conditions, the ruling Islamist party Ennahda receives positive marks from 65% of Tunisians.

Both Democracy and Economy Are Priorities

Majorities in five of the six nations polled (and a plurality of Pakistanis) believe democracy is the best form of government. Moreover, there is a strong desire in these nations for specific democratic rights and institutions, such as competitive multi-party elections and freedom of speech.

Other goals are also clearly important. Many say political stability is a crucial priority, and even more prioritize economic prosperity. When respondents are asked which is more important, a good democracy or a strong economy, Turkey and Lebanon are the only countries where more than half choose democracy. Egyptians are divided, while most Tunisians, Pakistanis and Jordanians prioritize the economy.

Overall, views about the economic situation in these countries are grim, although Turkey is a notable exception. Nearly six-in-ten Turks (57%) say their country’s economy is in good shape, but at least seven-in-ten in Pakistan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan offer negative assessments.

A Major Role for Islam in Public Life

In five of six nations, solid majorities say Islam is already playing a large role in the country’s political life. In newly democratic Tunisia, where the Islamist party Ennahda won the largest share of votes in the recent parliamentary elections, fully 84% think Islam has a major role.

Similarly, in Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood has won both parliamentary and presidential elections, 66% hold this view, up from 47% two years ago.

The view that Islam plays a large role in political life has also become more prevalent in Pakistan over the last two years. Meanwhile, more than six-in-ten in Turkey and Lebanon believe Islam is a major part of political life in their countries. This view is especially pervasive among Lebanese Christians – 75% think Islam has a major role.

The clear exception on this issue is Jordan. Only 31% of Jordanians believe Islam currently plays a large part in their nation’s political life, while 63% say it has a small role. Among the majority of Jordanians who say Islam is playing a small role, 80% say it is a bad thing that Islam has only a minor part in the country’s politics.

Support for Gender Equality – but Not in All Circumstances

While majorities in all six countries support the principle of gender equality, there are significant differences between men and women on this issue. The most striking gender gap is in Jordan, where 82% of women but just 44% of men say women should have the same rights as men.

Moreover, while there is majority support for the idea of gender equality, this does not necessarily apply to specific aspects of public and private life. For instance, at least half in Tunisia, Pakistan, Turkey and Jordan say men make better political leaders. When it comes to economics, most say women should be able to work outside the home, but most also believe that when jobs are scarce, jobs for men should be the first priority. And in the personal realm, many of those surveyed believe a woman’s family should help choose her husband, rather than the woman herself – indeed, in Pakistan and Jordan this is the majority view.

Limited Support for Extremist Groups

Extremist groups are largely rejected in predominantly Muslim nations, although significant numbers do express support for radical groups in several countries. For instance, while there is no country in which a majority holds a favorable opinion of the Palestinian organization Hamas, it receives considerable support in Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt.

The militant Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah receives its highest overall ratings in Tunisia, where nearly half express a positive opinion. Sizable minorities in both Jordan and Egypt also have a favorable view, but Hezbollah’s image has been declining in both countries in recent years. In its home country, views about Hezbollah are sharply divided along sectarian lines: 94% of Shia, 33% of Christians, and 5% of Sunnis give the group favorable marks.

Across all six nations, less than 20% have a positive opinion about al Qaeda or the Taliban. In Turkey and Lebanon, support for these groups is in the single digits. However, fully 19% of Egyptians rate these extremist organizations favorably.

Turkey and Erdogan Popular

Turkey, which has significantly increased its diplomatic profile in recent years, particularly in the Middle East, is held in high regard in the predominantly Muslim nations surveyed. Solid majorities in all six nations express a favorable opinion of Turkey. Moreover, its leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the moderate Islamist party AKP, also receives largely positive reviews.

Most of those surveyed believe Turkey favors democracy in the Middle East, including roughly three-in-four in the newly democratic nations of Egypt and Tunisia. Fewer say this about Saudi Arabia, although more than half in Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan think the oil-rich kingdom does support democracy in the region.

Yet, relatively few believe the United States wants democracy in the Middle East, including just 37% in Egypt, a major recipient of American democracy promotion funds in recent years. Exceedingly few think Israel favors democracy in the Middle East – just 10% or less in all six nations hold this view.

Tunisians Unhappy With State of Country, but Still Hopeful

Nearly eight-in-ten Tunisians (78%) are dissatisfied with the way things are going in their country and a similar number (83%) describe current economic conditions as bad. And the country is split over whether it is better off now that Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali is no long in power.

However, Tunisians show few signs of wanting a return to autocracy. A majority says a democratic government is preferable, even if that means some risk of instability, and large majorities deem rights and institutions such as a fair judiciary, honest elections, and free speech very important.

And while they are glum about current conditions, they are hopeful about the future. Two-thirds (66%) are optimistic about Tunisia’s future, and 75% think the country’s economy will improve in the next 12 months.

The ruling Ennahda party gets largely positive reviews – 65% have a favorable opinion of the Islamist organization, which was banned from politics during the Ben Ali era. Two Ennahda leaders, party co-founder Rached Ghannouchi and current Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, are viewed favorably by about two-in-three Tunisians.

The U.S. receives mixed reviews in Tunisia. Overall, 45% have a favorable and 45% an unfavorable view of the U.S. However, President Barack Obama gets mostly poor marks – 57% say they have little or no confidence that Obama will do the right thing in world affairs. And there is no consensus among Tunisians about how the U.S. has handled the political changes taking place in their country – 31% believe the American response has had a positive effect, 27% say it has been negative, and 25% volunteer that the U.S. has had no impact.

Also of Note

• While few in Tunisia and Egypt describe the current economy as good, there is optimism about the future – 75% of Tunisians and 50% of Egyptians believe the economy will improve in the next 12 months.
• On balance, opinions about Iran are negative, although Pakistan is a clear exception – 76% of Pakistanis have a favorable view of Iran, and 47% rate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad positively.
• Syrian President Bashar al-Assad generally receives very negative ratings across the nations included in the survey (For more on views about Syria and President Bashar al-Assad, see “Widespread Condemnation for Assad in Neighboring Countries,” released June 21, 2012).

Putting aside their feelings about presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff, President Lula’s chief of staff, a solid majority of Brazilians say it would be a good thing for a woman to be elected president.  About seven-in-ten among male and female respondents share this view.

Views of Gender Equality

Like nearly all publics included in the 2010 Pew Global Attitudes survey, Brazilians solidly embrace gender equality; 95% say women should have the same rights as men. About the same percentage (96%) agrees that women should be able to work outside the home, including 88% who completely agree. (For a cross-national analysis of views of gender equality, see “Gender Equality Universally Embraced, But Inequalities Acknowledged,” released July 1, 2010.)

Moreover, 87% reject the notion that a university education is more important for a boy than for a girl. And while a sizeable minority (37%) agrees that men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce, most Brazilians disagree with the notion that men should have preferential treatment (63%).

When asked which type of marriage they think is the most satisfying way of life, more than eight-in-ten (84%) Brazilians opt for one where the husband and wife both have jobs and both take care of the house and children; just 15% say a marriage where the husband provides for the family and the wife cares for the household is preferable.

Support for gender equality does not vary considerably between men and women.  For example, 66% of female respondents and 60% of male respondents disagree that a man should have more right to a job than a woman during tough economic times.  And while women are somewhat more likely than men to say they would prefer a marriage where both husband and wife have jobs and both take care of the house and children, solid majorities in both groups (88% and 81%, respectively) share this view.

Opinions about whether men should receive preferential treatment when jobs are in short supply vary across age, income and, especially, educational groups.  Just 13% of those who attended college and a somewhat larger but still small share (34%) of those with at least some secondary education agree with this notion.  In contrast, a 52% majority of those with a primary education or less agrees that men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce.

Many Say Inequalities Persist

A 42% plurality in Brazil says that, all things considered, men have the better life in their country; and about two-thirds (66%) agree that men get more opportunities than women for high-paying jobs, even when women are as qualified for the position. Moreover, among those who say women should have the same rights as men, more than eight-in-ten (84%) say their country needs to continue making changes to achieve that goal.

Brazilian men and women offer similar opinions about the progress their country has made towards gender equality and whether job opportunities are more widely available to men than to women.  But female respondents are much more likely than male respondents to say men have it better in Brazil.  About half (51%) of women say that is the case, while 28% say their sex has the better life and 20% volunteer that life is the same for men and women.  By comparison, men are about evenly split; 32% say life is better for men, 32% say it is better for women, and 34% say there is no difference.

Those younger than 50 and those who have attended college are also more likely than older respondents and those with less education to say life is better for men than it is for women.  For example, nearly six-in-ten (57%) of those with at least some college offer this opinion, compared with 41% of those with at least a secondary education and 37% of those with a primary education or less.

Electing a Woman President

Seven-in-ten Brazilians say that, aside from their feelings about candidate Dilma Rousseff in particular, it would be a good thing for a woman to be elected president; just 13% say it would be a bad thing and 15% do not think the gender of the president matters.  By comparison, when the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press asked Americans the same question in October 2007, asking them to put aside their feelings about then-candidate Hillary Clinton, a majority (55%) said it did not matter, while 33% said it would be a good thing and 9% said it would be a bad thing to elect a woman to be president.

Brazilian men are as likely as women to say that electing a woman would be a good thing (70% and 71%, respectively); in the 2007 survey, American women were considerably more likely than men to have this opinion (42% vs. 24%).

As the eight years of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s presidency draw to a close, Brazilians offer largely positive assessments of where their country stands.  At a time when global publics are mostly glum about the way things are going in their countries, half of Brazilians say they are satisfied with national conditions, and 62% say their nation’s economy is in good shape.  Of the 21 other publics included in the 2010 Pew Global Attitudes survey, only the Chinese are more upbeat about their country’s overall direction and economic conditions.

A solid majority of Brazilians believe the outgoing president and the national government are having a good influence on the country, and most give the government good ratings for its handling of the economy.  Moreover, the Bolsa Família program, Lula’s signature initiative, which provides cash incentives to the country’s poorest families for keeping their children in school and getting them vaccinated, is popular with Brazilians among all demographic groups.

Lula is also praised for his performance on the world stage.  Nearly eight-in-ten Brazilians express confidence in their president to do the right thing in world affairs, and about three-quarters say Brazil already is (24%) or will eventually be (53%) one of the most powerful nations in the world.  A large majority believes their country is well-liked around the globe.

Yet, despite the generally positive national mood, Brazilians say their country faces some major challenges.  In particular, more than eight-in-ten say that illegal drugs and crime are very serious problems in Brazil; more than half say there are areas near their homes where they would be afraid to walk alone at night.  More than six-in-ten Brazilians also describe corrupt political leaders, social inequality and pollution as major problems.

These are the latest findings from a spring 2010 survey of Brazil by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project.  Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 1,000 adults in Brazil between April 10 and May 6, 2010.  The sample is representative of the country’s adult population, and the margin of sampling error for the results is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.  (Brazil was surveyed as part of the Spring 2010 Pew Global Attitudes Survey, which included 22 nations.  For more findings from this survey, see “Obama More Popular Abroad Than at Home, Global Image of U.S. Continues to Benefit,” released June 17, 2010.)

Positive Views of U.S. and China Too

Brazilians offer favorable opinions of the U.S. and China, their country’s two biggest trading partners, although America’s image is somewhat more positive.  About six-in-ten (62%) give the U.S. a favorable rating; 29% have an unfavorable opinion.  Looking at the other Latin American nations in the survey, 56% of Mexicans offer a favorable opinion, while 35% have a negative view of their

neighbor to the north.  And in Argentina, about the same number rate the U.S. favorably (42%) as rate it unfavorably (41%).

U.S. President Barack Obama also receives higher marks in Brazil than in Argentina and Mexico; 56% of Brazilians have confidence in the American president to do the right thing in world affairs, compared with 49% of Argentines and 43% of Mexicans.

Views of China are also more positive in Brazil.  While a slim majority of Brazilians (52%) give China high marks, fewer than half in Argentina (45%) and Mexico (39%) offer favorable opinions of the Asian superpower.

When asked whether they consider the U.S. and China partners or enemies of their country, most Brazilians (56%) say the U.S. is a partner, while 45% say the same about China.  About one-in-ten see each of these countries as an enemy, while many say the U.S. and China are neither partners nor enemies of Brazil.

Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program

While Brazilians express confidence in Lula’s overall approach to world affairs, they largely disagree with him on how to handle Iran and its nuclear weapons program.  The president has opposed additional international economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic.  Yet, of the 85% of Brazilians who oppose Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, nearly two-thirds approve of tighter sanctions to try to prevent it from developing such weapons; 31% oppose tougher economic sanctions against Iran.¹ Majorities of those who oppose a nuclear-armed Tehran in 18 of the other 21 countries surveyed also endorse such a measure.

In addition, most (54%) Brazilians who do not want to see a nuclear-armed Iran are willing to consider the use of military force to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons; a third say avoiding a military conflict with Iran, even if it means it may develop these weapons, should be the priority.

Overall, Brazilian views of Iran are among the most negative of the 22 publics included in the 2010 Pew Global Attitudes survey.  About two-thirds (65%) express unfavorable opinions of Iran; a similar percentage of Americans (67%) and Egyptians (66%) offer similarly negative views, as do more than seven-in-ten in Spain, Japan, France and Germany.

Also of Note

• More than six-in-ten Brazilians say the media, foreign companies, religious leaders and the military are having a good influence on the way things are going in their country; a slim, 53% majority give the police similarly good ratings.
• Many Brazilians say gender inequalities persist in their country, and seven-in-ten say it would be a good thing for a woman to be elected president, putting aside their opinions about presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff.
• Of the 22 publics surveyed, Brazilians are among the most supportive of the free market approach; 75% agree that people are better off in a market economy.  Only in China, Nigeria, India and South Korea is this view more prevalent.
• Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez receives the most negative ratings of five international leaders tested; just 13% have at least some confidence in him, while seven-in-ten say they have little or no confidence in the Venezuelan leader.  About half also lack confidence in Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.
• Brazilians express more concern about global climate change than any public surveyed; 85% say it is a very serious problem. Moreover, eight-in-ten say protecting the environment should be given priority, even if it results in slower economic growth and loss of jobs.

Modernizers vs. Fundamentalists

More than four-in-ten (44%) Pakistani Muslims say there is a struggle between those who want to modernize their country and Islamic fundamentalists; just 12% see no struggle, and 44% do not offer an opinion. In 2009, four-in-ten saw a struggle between modernizers and fundamentalists, while 22% said there was no struggle and 38% did not know.

Muslim men are much more likely than women to say there is a struggle between those who want to modernize Pakistan and Islamic fundamentalists; 54% of men see a struggle, compared with 34% of women. A year ago, Muslim women were about as likely as men to say there was a struggle in their country (38% and 42%, respectively).

As was the case in 2009, the more affluent and the better educated are more likely than those with lower income and less education to say there is a struggle between modernizers and fundamentalists. For example, 56% of those with at least some secondary education see a struggle in their country, compared with 46% of those with at least some primary education and 34% of those with no formal education.

A majority (61%) of Muslims who say there is a struggle between those who want to modernize Pakistan and Islamic fundamentalists also say they identify with the modernizers. Still, fewer say that is the case than did so a year ago, when 73% of those who saw a struggle said they sided with the modernizers. The drop in the percentage identifying with groups who want to modernize Pakistan is especially notable among men in that country. In 2009, nearly eight-in-ten (78%) Muslim men who saw a struggle said they identified with the modernizers, compared with 56% who say the same today. By comparison, the percentage of women who see a struggle and identify with the modernizers is virtually unchanged from last year (67% in 2009 vs. 68% today).

Islam’s Role in Political Life

Pakistani Muslims are less likely than they were in past surveys to see substantial Islamic influence in the political life of their country. Fewer than half (46%) now say Islam plays a very large or fairly large role, while 36% say the role of Islam in Pakistani politics is small. In 2005, a solid majority (63%) said Islam played a large role and just 20% said it played a very small or fairly small role in politics.

Muhajirs and Punjabis are more likely than other ethnic groups to say that Islam exerts considerable influence in Pakistani politics; 53% and 48% of Muslims within these groups, respectively, see Islam playing a large role. By comparison, 39% of Pashtun and 38% of Sindhi Muslims say that is the case.

Pakistani Muslims overwhelmingly welcome Islamic influence over their country’s politics. Nearly nine-in-ten (88%) of those who see Islam playing a large role say that is a good thing. Similarly, 79% of those who say Islam’s role is small say that is a bad thing for their country. This pattern is true across all demographic groups.

Support for Gender Segregation, Strict Laws

Pakistanis overwhelmingly support making segregation of men and women in the workplace the law in their country (85%), and comparable percentages favor instituting harsh punishments such as stoning people who commit adultery (82%), whippings and cutting off of hands for crimes like theft and robbery (82%), and the death penalty for those who leave the Muslim religion (76%). Support for gender segregation and for severe punishments is pervasive across all demographic and regional groups.

Majorities among those who identify with modernizers and among those who side with Islamic fundamentalists in a struggle between the two groups endorse making harsh punishments the law in Pakistan. However, those who identify with fundamentalists are much more likely than those who side with the modernizers to support harsh punishments under the law. For example, 88% of those who say they identify with Islamic fundamentalists favor the death penalty for people who leave the Muslim religion, compared with 67% of those who side with the modernizers.

Both groups express similar views on gender segregation, however; 88% of Muslims who side with fundamentalists and 85% of those who identify with groups who want to modernize Pakistan say they favor the segregation of men and women in the workplace.

Pakistanis remain in a grim mood about the state of their country. Overwhelming majorities are dissatisfied with national conditions, unhappy with the nation’s economy, and concerned about political corruption and crime. Only one-in-five express a positive view of President Asif Ali Zardari, down from 64% just two years ago.

As Pakistani forces continue to battle extremist groups within the country, nearly all Pakistanis describe terrorism as a very big problem. However, they have grown markedly less concerned that extremists might take control of the country. Last year, at a time when the Pakistani military was taking action against Taliban forces in the Swat Valley within 100 miles of the nation’s capital, 69% were very or somewhat worried about extremist groups taking control of Pakistan. Today, just 51% express concern about an extremist takeover.

More specifically, Pakistanis also feel less threatened by the Taliban and much less by al Qaeda. Last year, 73% rated the Taliban a serious threat, compared with 54% now. Roughly six-in-ten (61%) considered al Qaeda a serious threat last year; now, just 38% feel this way.

Nonetheless, both the Taliban and al Qaeda remain unpopular among Pakistanis – 65% give the Taliban an unfavorable rating and 53% feel this way about al Qaeda. Negative views toward these groups have become a little less prevalent over the past year, while positive views have crept up slightly. Still, opinions are much more negative today than was the case two years ago, when roughly one-third expressed an unfavorable view of both groups, one-quarter gave them a positive rating, and four-in-ten offered no opinion.

Pakistanis express more mixed views about another militant organization, Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani group active in Kashmir that has often attacked Indian targets (it is widely blamed for the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks). Just 35% have a negative view of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a much lower percentage than for the other extremist organizations tested. One-in-four Pakistanis express a positive assessment, while 40% offer no opinion. Essentially, views toward Lashkar-e-Taiba resemble Pakistani views about the Taliban and al Qaeda prior to 2009, when the balance of public opinion shifted from indifference to opposition to those groups.

Less Support for U.S. Involvement

America’s overall image remains negative in Pakistan. Along with Turks and Egyptians, Pakistanis give the U.S. its lowest ratings among the 22 nations included in the spring 2010 Pew Global Attitudes survey – in all three countries, only 17% have a favorable view of the U.S. Roughly six-in-ten (59%) Pakistanis describe the U.S. as an enemy, while just 11% say it is a partner. And President Barack Obama is unpopular – only 8% of Pakistanis express confidence that he will do the right thing in world affairs, his lowest rating among the 22 nations.

Moreover, support for U.S. involvement in the fight against extremists has waned over the last year. Fewer Pakistanis now want the U.S. to provide financial and humanitarian aid to areas where extremist groups operate, or for the U.S. to provide intelligence and logistical support to Pakistani troops fighting extremists, although about half of those surveyed still favor these efforts. There is also little support for U.S. drone strikes against extremist leaders – those who are aware of these attacks generally say they are not necessary, and overwhelmingly they believe the strikes kill too many civilians.

The U.S.-led war in neighboring Afghanistan is widely opposed by Pakistanis. Nearly two-thirds (65%) want U.S. and NATO troops removed as soon as possible. And relatively few Pakistanis believe the situation in Afghanistan could have a serious impact on their country: 25% think it would be bad for Pakistan if the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and 18% say it would be good; 27% think it would not matter and 30% have no opinion.

Nonetheless, despite the prevalence of negative opinions about the U.S., most Pakistanis want better relations between the two countries. Nearly two-in-three (64%) say it is important for relations with the U.S. to improve, up from 53% last year.

These are the latest findings from a spring 2010 survey of Pakistan by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 2,000 adults in Pakistan April 13 to 28, 2010. The sample, which is disproportionately urban, includes Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the North-West Frontier Province, or NWFP). However, portions of Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are not included because of instability. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), as well as Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly the Federally Administered Northern Areas, or FANA) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, were not surveyed. The area covered by the sample represents approximately 84% of the adult population.¹ (Pakistan was surveyed as part of the

Spring 2010 Pew Global Attitudes Survey, which included 22 nations. For more findings from this survey, see “Obama More Popular Abroad Than at Home, Global Image of U.S. Continues to Benefit,” released June 17, 2010).

India Seen as a Threat

While Pakistanis express serious concerns about the U.S., they also have deep worries about their neighbor and longtime rival India. Indeed, they are more worried about the external threat from India than extremist groups within Pakistan. When asked which is the greatest threat to their country – India, the Taliban or al Qaeda – slightly more than half of Pakistanis (53%) choose India, compared with 23% for the Taliban and just 3% for al Qaeda.

However, despite the deep-seated tensions between these two countries, most Pakistanis want better relations with India. Roughly seven-in-ten (72%) say it is important for relations with India to improve and about three-quarters support increased trade with India and further talks between the two rivals.

A Bleak View of National Conditions

Few Pakistanis are happy with the state of their nation – only 14% are satisfied with national conditions, while 84% say they are dissatisfied.

Views of the economy are almost as grim. More than three-in-four (78%) say the country’s economy is in bad shape. Moreover, there is growing pessimism about Pakistan’s economic future. Half of the public expects the country’s economic situation to worsen over the next 12 months, up from 35% in the 2009 survey.

Almost all Pakistanis say the lack of jobs is a major problem facing their nation, although economic issues are not the only challenges widely perceived. Vast majorities characterize terrorism, crime, illegal drugs, political corruption, the situation in Kashmir, and environmental issues as very big problems.

The gloomy national mood has clearly had an impact on evaluations of President Zardari – just 20% have a favorable view of him, compared with 64% in 2008 and 32% in 2009. Even among his own political party – the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – fewer than four-in-ten (38%) express a positive opinion of Zardari. Other leaders receive higher marks, however, including Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who is also affiliated with PPP. Most respondents have positive views of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and cricket-star-turned-politician Imran Khan. Among the political figures tested, opposition leader Nawaz Sharif receives the highest ratings – 71% have a positive opinion of the leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).

General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, head of the Pakistani Army, is also generally well-regarded, with 61% voicing a favorable view of him. More broadly, the Pakistani military is overwhelmingly popular: 84% of Pakistanis say the military is having a good impact on their country. And, on balance, Pakistanis tend to support the army’s ongoing efforts to fight extremist groups in the FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 49% approve of these efforts, while just 20% oppose and 30% have no opinion.

Widespread Support for Harsh Laws

More than four-in-ten Pakistanis see a struggle taking place between Islamic fundamentalists and groups that want to modernize the country; and the vast majority of those who do see a struggle identify with the modernizers.

Nonetheless, many Pakistanis endorse extreme views about law, religion and society. More than eight-in-ten support segregating men and women in the workplace, stoning adulterers, and whipping and cutting off the hands of thieves. Roughly three-in-four endorse the death penalty for those who leave Islam.

Thus, even though Pakistanis largely reject extremist organizations, they embrace some of the severe laws advocated by such groups. Still, Pakistanis differ sharply with the Taliban and al Qaeda when it comes to a tactic associated with both groups: suicide bombing. Fully 80% of Pakistani Muslims say suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians can never be justified to defend Islam, the highest percentage among the Muslim publics surveyed. As recently as six years ago, only 35% held this view.

Also of Note

• There is no consensus among Pakistanis about the size of American assistance to their country – 23% believe the U.S. provides a lot of financial aid, 22% say it provides a little aid, 10% say hardly any, and 16% believe the U.S. gives Pakistan no aid.
• Attitudes toward China remain positive – 84% consider China a partner to Pakistan.
• Over the last five years, Pakistani Muslims have become less likely to believe Islam plays a major role in the country’s politics. Currently, 46% say it has a large role, compared with 63% in 2005.
• The dispute over Kashmir remains a major issue. Roughly eight-in-ten say it is very important that Pakistan and India resolve this issue, and 71% rate it a very big problem.
• Pakistan’s often freewheeling media gets high marks from respondents – 76% say it is having a good influence on the country.

Almost everywhere, solid majorities express support for gender equality and agree that women should be able to work outside the home. Most also find a marriage in which both spouses share financial and household responsibilities to be more satisfying than one in which the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of the house and children. In addition, majorities in most countries reject the notion that higher education is more important for a boy than for a girl.

Yet, despite a general consensus that women should have the same rights as men, people in many countries around the world say gender inequalities persist in their countries. Many say that men get more opportunities than equally qualified women for jobs that pay well and that life is generally better for men than it is for women in their countries. This is especially so in some of the wealthier nations surveyed. And while majorities in nearly every country surveyed express support for gender equality, equal rights supporters in most countries say that more changes are needed to ensure that women have the same rights as men.

These are among the findings of a 22-nation survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, conducted April 7 to May 8. This special in-depth look at views on gender equality, done in association with the International Herald Tribune, also suggests that, while egalitarian sentiments are pervasive, they are less than robust; when economically challenging times arise, many feel men should be given preferential treatment over women in the search for employment.

This is especially true in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed as well as in India, China, South Korea and Nigeria. In these countries, solid majorities agree that women should be able to work outside the home; yet, most also agree that men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce. For example, about six-in-ten in Egypt (61%) and Jordan (58%) say women should have the right to work outside the home, but even larger shares (75% and 68%, respectively) say the priority should be for men to have jobs.

In some countries, male respondents are considerably more likely than female respondents to agree that men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce. For example, about nine-in-ten Egyptian men (92%) share this view, compared with 58% of Egyptian women. Similarly, while about three-quarters of Jordanian men (77%) say their sex should be more entitled to a job in tough economic times, a much slimmer majority of Jordanian women (56%) say the same.

Men and women also frequently offer diverging views on other aspects of gender equality, including a woman’s right to work outside the home and the importance of higher education for boys and girls; this gender gap is evident most consistently in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed.

The survey also finds that women are far more likely than men to perceive gender inequalities. By double-digit margins, female respondents in 13 of 22 nations are more likely than male respondents to say men in their countries have the better life. And in most countries where majorities among both men and women agree that men get more opportunities than women for high-paying jobs, women are considerably more likely to say they completely agree that is the case.

Widespread Support for Equal Rights

Solid majorities in virtually every country surveyed say that women should have the same rights as men. This opinion is nearly unanimous in Western European and Latin American countries, as well as in the U.S., Poland, Lebanon, China, India, and South Korea; at least nine-in-ten men and women in these countries express support for gender equality.

In Egypt, where six-in-ten say the two sexes should have the same rights, men and women offer widely different views. About three-quarters (76%) of Egyptian women support gender equality, while Egyptian men are nearly evenly divided – 45% say women and men should have equal rights and 47% disagree. Double-digit gender gaps are also evident in Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan and Kenya; still, majorities among both men and women in those countries agree that women should have the same rights as men.

Only in Nigeria does a majority (54%) reject the idea that women and men should have equal rights. This primarily reflects the views of Nigerian men; 65% say women should not have the same rights as men, while just 35% say they should. In contrast, a majority of Nigerian women (56%) endorse equality, although a substantive minority (44%) does not.

Vast Support for Women Working Outside the Home

Majorities in every country polled agree that women should be able to work outside the home. In 17 of the 22 countries, most say they completely agree with this assertion, including at least three-quarters in Brazil (88%), Britain (84%), the U.S. (81%) and Germany (79%).

Support for a woman’s right to work outside the home has increased since 2002 in four of the six countries for which trends exist. For example, 95% of Turks currently subscribe to the idea that women should be able to work outside the home while 85% did so earlier in the decade; support for this view is also more widespread since 2002 in Nigeria (+10 percentage points), Pakistan (+9 points) and Indonesia (+8 points), while Jordanian and Lebanese views have shown little change.

In a number of countries where the majority thinks women should be able to work outside the home, women are even more likely than men to strongly support this idea; this is particularly the case in some of the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. For example, while 65% of women in Pakistan completely agree that women should have the option to work outside the home, only 31% of Pakistani men hold the same view. Similarly, while about one-third of women in Egypt (36%) and Jordan (34%) completely agree that women should be able to work outside the home, only about one-in-ten men in these countries embrace the same opinion. Significant gender differences also exist in South Korea, Kenya, Spain, Lebanon and Indonesia.

In Lebanon and Nigeria, views also differ along religious and sectarian lines. More Lebanese Sunnis (75%) and Christians (73%) completely agree that women should be able to work outside the home than do Lebanese Shia (63%). The gap is far larger in Nigeria where 73% of Christians are in complete agreement with the notion of a working role for women compared with 43% of Nigerian Muslims.

Egalitarian Marriage Seen as More Satisfying

In 19 of 22 countries, majorities say that a marriage where both husband and wife have jobs and take care of the house and children is a more satisfying way of life than having the husband provide financially while the wife cares for the household.

This view is particularly widespread in Western Europe, where more than eight-in-ten in France (91%), Spain (91%) and Germany (85%) agree that the preferred marital model is one where husband and wife share a family’s financial burden as well as the household and child care responsibilities. More than eight-in-ten in Brazil (84%) and Kenya (81%) and at least three-quarters in China (78%) and Mexico (76%) share this view.

Across predominantly Muslim countries, support for both spouses working is mixed. About nine-in-ten in Lebanon (92%) favor a double-income household and an egalitarian approach to tasks at home, as do 72% in Turkey. In Indonesia, the majority in favor of dual workers both inside and outside the home is narrower (56%), with 43% of Indonesians saying that a marriage where the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of the house and children is preferable.

Egyptians and Jordanians are more divided; 48% and 47%, respectively, embrace the egalitarian approach to marriage, while about four-in-ten (38% in Egypt and 40% in Jordan) choose a more traditional arrangement. In contrast, Pakistanis are overwhelmingly of the opinion that a marriage where the husband bears the financial responsibility while the wife cares for the house and children is more satisfying; nearly eight-in-ten (79%) share this view, compared with just 18% of Pakistanis who favor a non-traditional approach.

Views of marriage have become more egalitarian since earlier in the decade in seven of the 19 countries for which trends are available. This change has been especially dramatic in Jordan, where the balance of opinion has shifted since 2002; then, 37% of Jordanians opted for a more egalitarian approach, compared with the nearly half who do so now.

In Russia, Poland, Lebanon, Mexico and the U.S., where majorities already expressed a preference for a more non-traditional marriage arrangement in 2002, even more say that is the case today. For example, about three-quarters (74%) of Russians now say that a marriage where the husband and wife both have jobs and share household responsibilities is preferable, compared with 56% in 2002. Similarly, in the U.S., 71% now hold this view, compared with 58% earlier in the decade. In Poland, where the change since 2002 has been less pronounced, opinion has shifted dramatically since 1991; currently, 68% say an egalitarian marriage is more satisfying, compared with 60% in 2002 and just 41% nearly two decades ago.

French and German views of marriage are largely unchanged from 2002, but far more in these countries – as well as in Spain, which was not surveyed in 2002 – support a more egalitarian approach to marriage than did so in 1991. Nearly two decades ago, 67% in Spain, 64% in France and 58% in Germany found a marriage where the husband and wife both had jobs and took care of the house and children to be more satisfying than one where the husband provided for the family while the wife took care of the household; today, 91% in Spain and France and 85% in Germany share this view.

In China, Pakistan and Nigeria, however, views of marriage have become more traditional since 2002. In Pakistan, the share who say a marriage where the husband works outside the home while the wife takes care of the house and children is a better way of life has increased by 16 percentage points from 63% in 2002 to 79% today. In Nigeria, where fewer now say they prefer an egalitarian marriage than did so in 2002 (61% vs. 78%), the decline in support for this approach to marriage primarily reflects a change in opinion among Muslims. Currently, 47% of Nigerian Muslims say a marriage where both husband and wife have a job and take care of the house and children is preferable; 70% expressed this view in 2002. Changes have been less pronounced among Nigerian Christians – about three-quarters (74%) favor an egalitarian approach to marriage, compared with 85% earlier in the decade.

Across most of the countries surveyed, opinions about what type of marriage brings the most satisfaction vary little, if at all, between male and female respondents. In the predominantly Muslim countries of Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey as well as in South Korea, however, more women than men favor an egalitarian approach. For example, roughly six-in-ten women in Jordan (59%) and Egypt (58%) take an egalitarian view, compared with just under four-in-ten men in these countries (36% in Jordan and 38% in Egypt).

Preferential Treatment for Men in Tough Economic Times

Publics across the countries surveyed offer mixed views on whether men should have more of a right to a job than women during tough economic times. Majorities in 11 of 22 countries surveyed reject this idea, and this is particularly true in the U.S. and Western Europe. In Nigeria as well as in many Asian and predominantly Muslim countries, however, most respondents say that men should receive preferential treatment when jobs are scarce.

At least eight-in-ten in Spain (87%), Britain (85%), the U.S. (85%), France (80%) and Germany (80%) disagree that in tough economic times, men should have more right to a job than women. Majorities in Mexico (69%), Brazil (63%), Argentina (56%), Kenya (53%) and Poland (51%) also reject this notion.

In contrast, the view that men should have more of a right to a job than women during tough economic times is prevalent in nine of the countries surveyed. At least seven-in-ten in India (84%), Pakistan (82%), Nigeria (77%), Egypt (75%), Indonesia (74%) and China (73%) subscribe to this idea. About two-thirds in the predominantly Muslim countries of Jordan (68%) and Turkey (67%) as well as 60% in South Korea also say that men are more entitled to a job than women when jobs are scarce.

Opinions are more mixed in Lebanon and Russia, where about as many agree (51% and 47%, respectively) as disagree (49% in each country) with the notion that men should have more right to a job than women in tough economic times. Lebanese views split along religious and sectarian lines; a majority (58%) of Sunni Muslims in that country say men should receive preferential treatment when jobs are scarce, while most Lebanese Christians (63%) reject this notion. Shia Muslims are divided – 48% agree and 52% disagree that men should have more of a right to a job than women when times are tough.

In many countries, men are more likely than women to agree with the idea that men should receive preferential treatment for jobs in tough economic times. This is particularly true in Egypt; 91% of men feel they should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce while 58% of women hold the same opinion. While less pronounced, a similar pattern also exists in Jordan, Russia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Korea, Poland, Indonesia and Lebanon.

In Japan, the opposite pattern in gender differences is evident; women (48%) are more likely than men (33%) to agree that men should receive preferential treatment for jobs in challenging times.

Support for Educating Boys and Girls

Publics in 18 of 22 countries disagree with the notion that a university education is more important for a boy than for a girl. And in 10 of these countries, many strongly reject this idea; majorities in Lebanon (84%), Brazil (78%), Argentina (72%), Britain (71%), France (70%), Mexico (65%), Germany (64%), Spain (62%), the U.S. (60%), and Kenya (59%) completely disagree that is it more important for a boy to receive a university education.

Still, a solid majority in India (63%) and about half in Pakistan (51%), Egypt (50%) and China (48%) say that a university education is more important for a boy than for a girl, and sizeable minorities in several countries agree. For example, in Jordan, 44% agree that it is more important for a boy than a girl to get a college education; about one-third in Japan (35%), Poland (34%) and Nigeria (34%) also embrace this view.

Nigerian opinion is split along religious lines. A solid majority (81%) of Christians in that country disagree that a college education is more important for a boy than for a girl. In contrast, Nigerian Muslims are nearly evenly divided; 50% agree and 49% disagree. Muslim men and women in Nigeria offer opposing views – nearly six-in-ten (59%) Muslim men agree that it is more important for boys to receive a college education, while 60% of Muslim women in Nigeria disagree.

A considerable gender gap in views of whether a university education is more important for boys than for girls is also evident in four of the six predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. Majorities of men in Egypt and Jordan say it is more important for a boy to receive a university education (60% and 56%, respectively); 60% of women in Egypt and 67% in Jordan disagree. In Pakistan, where more than twice as many men agree (64%) as disagree (30%) that a university education is more important for boys than it is for girls, about half (48%) of women disagree and 36% agree.

The gender divide is somewhat less pronounced in Turkey. While most among both sexes in that country reject the idea that a post-secondary education is of greater importance for a boy than a girl, more women (77%) than men (62%) subscribe to an egalitarian approach to education.

In some countries where overwhelming majorities disagree that a university education is more important for a boy than for a girl, women are considerably more likely than men to say they completely disagree. This is especially true in the U.S. – seven-in-ten women completely disagree that it is more important for a boy to receive a university education, compared with just about half (49%) of American men. Women in Argentina and in all four Western European nations surveyed are also more likely than men in those countries to strongly reject the notion that it is more important for a boy to get a college education than a girl.

Wearing a Veil

In four of the seven countries where the question was asked, clear majorities of Muslims say that women should have the right to decide if they wear a veil. This view is most widespread in Turkey, Indonesia and Lebanon.

In Turkey, where a ban on veils in civic spaces and government buildings remains, support for a woman’s right to decide whether she wears a veil is nearly universal and intensely held; 96% of Muslims in Turkey agree that women should have the right to determine if they wear a head cover, including seven-in-ten who completely agree that women should have this right.

In Indonesia, where national law makes wearing a veil optional in all but the autonomous province of Aceh, an overwhelming majority of Muslims (92%) believe women should have the right to decide if they cover their heads. Similarly, 89% of Lebanese Muslims feel women should determine whether or not to don a veil. A solid majority of Muslims in Pakistan (65%) also support a woman’s right to choose whether to cover her head.

In contrast, Egyptian and Jordanian Muslims are divided. Roughly half of Muslims in Egypt (51%) and Jordan (48%) agree that women should be able to determine if they wear a head scarf while roughly half in both countries disagree (48% in Egypt and 50% in Jordan). In Jordan, support for giving women this right has declined substantially since 2008, when about six-in-ten Muslims (59%) said women should have the right to decide if they were a veil.

Nigerian Muslims are the only ones who are more inclined to disagree (53%) than agree (45%) that women should have the right to decide if they wear a head scarf. However, Nigerian Muslim opposition to a woman’s right to choose whether to don a veil is down from 2008, when 64% disagreed that women should have this right.

In four of the seven countries, Muslim women are more likely than Muslim men to support a woman’s right to choose whether to wear a head scarf. For example, while 83% of Muslim women in Pakistan agree that women should have the right to decide if they wear a veil, only 47% of Muslim Pakistani men embrace the same view. A similar gender divide exists in Jordan, Egypt and Nigeria.

Achieving Equal Rights

When respondents who favor gender equality are asked whether their country has made most of the changes needed to give women equal rights with men or if more changes are needed to achieve that goal, majorities in 18 of 22 countries say the latter. At least eight-in-ten equal rights supporters in Japan (89%), Brazil (84%), France (82%) and Spain (80%) say their countries need to continue making changes to ensure that women have the same rights as men. This view is shared nearly equally among both genders in Japan, Brazil and France; in Spain, women are considerably more likely than men to say that more changes need to be made (86% vs. 74%).

Female respondents in the U.S., Britain and Germany also offer far more negative assessments of their countries’ progress on gender equality than do male respondents. About seven-in-ten American (72%) and German (70%) women who support equality say their countries need to effect more changes to give women the same rights as men; a much slimmer majority of men in both countries (55%) say that is the case. The gender gap is somewhat narrower in Britain – three-quarters of women who favor equal rights say their country still has work to do, and 62% of men agree.

Positive perceptions of how much progress their countries have made in achieving gender equality are more prevalent among equal rights supporters in Jordan, Indonesia, India and China; more than half in those countries say that most of the changes needed to ensure this goal have already been made. In Indonesia, more men (64%) than women (53%) believe such changes have been brought about.

Who Has a Better Life?

Opinions about who has a better life – men or women –are mixed. In 10 of 22 nations, majorities or pluralities say that, all things considered, men have the better life in their countries. In 10 others, more volunteer that there is no difference than say that life is better for one sex than the other. Only in Japan and South Korea do pluralities say that life is better for women in their countries (47% and 49%, respectively).

The view that men have the better life is particularly widespread in France; three-quarters in that country say that is the case, compared with just 14% who say life is better for women and 9% who volunteer that there is no difference. A majority (55%) in Poland shares the view that men have the better life in their country, as do solid pluralities in the U.S., Germany, Spain, India, Brazil and Nigeria.

Majorities or pluralities in the six predominantly Muslim nations surveyed volunteer that life is the same for men and women in their countries. More than half in Mexico (56%) and Russia (52%) and at least four-in-ten in China (49%) and Argentina (46%) share this view.

Across much of the world, female respondents are considerably more likely than male respondents to say that men have the better life in their country. This is especially true in Turkey and Spain. More than four-in-ten Turkish women (46%) say men have it better in their country, while 16% say women do, and 36% say there is no difference; among Turkish men, however, just 19% say their sex has the better life, while 38% say women have it better and 40% say there is no difference.

Many See Inequality in Job Opportunities

The view that men get more opportunities than women for jobs that pay well, even when women are as qualified for the job, is widespread in most of the countries surveyed, particularly those that are wealthy or have recently experienced substantial economic growth. At least eight-in-ten in Germany (84%), France (80%) and Japan (80%) as well as about seven-in-ten in South Korea (70%), Britain (70%), the U.S. (68%), and Spain (68%) say men get more opportunities for high-paying jobs. Similarly strong majorities in Poland (83%), India (83%) and China (73%) say that is the case.

In contrast, many in predominantly Muslim publics reject the notion that men get more job opportunities than women. More than half in Lebanon (70%), Egypt (54%) and Indonesia (53%), as well as a 49%-plurality in Jordan, disagree that men get more opportunities than women for high-paying jobs. This opinion is also prevalent in Mexico, where 55% disagree and 43% agree that job opportunities are more widely available to men than to women.

In many countries where the view that men get more job opportunities than women predominates, female respondents are more likely than male respondents to say that is the case; in particular, women in those countries are often more inclined than men to completely agree that there is gender inequality in employment opportunities. For example, about six-in-ten women in France (61%) and Germany (60%) completely agree that men get more opportunities than women for jobs that pay well; in contrast, 37% of men in France and 39% in Germany are in complete agreement.

Majorities in five of the eight Muslim publics included on the survey reject restrictions on men and women being employed in the same workplace. And support for such restrictions has declined in several countries over the last year. Still, most Jordanian and Egyptian Muslims favor workplace restrictions.

Wearing the Veil: Who Should Decide?

Majorities in seven of eight Muslims publics agree with the statement “Women should have the right to decide if they wear a veil.” This view is most widespread in Turkey, Indonesia and Lebanon.

Nearly all of (95%) Muslims surveyed in Turkey – where the country’s highest court recently upheld a ban on women wearing a head scarf in government buildings – feel that women should be able to decide whether to wear a veil.

About nine-in-ten (92%) Muslims take this view in Indonesia, where in recent years several local governments have issued laws requiring women to wear head scarves.

In Lebanon, 85% agree that women should determine whether to wear a veil, including overwhelming majorities of both Sunni (91%) and Shia (79%) Muslims. Solid majorities of Muslims in Pakistan, Tanzania, Jordan and Egypt also agree that women should have the right to decide on this issue, although more than one-in-three in each of these countries disagrees with this view.

Nigeria is the only country in which most Muslims (64%) oppose a woman’s right to decide whether to wear the veil. Currently, only about one-in-three (34%) Nigerian Muslims believe women should be allowed to make this decision, down substantially from last year, when roughly half (51%) felt this way. Support for a woman’s right to choose on this issue has also declined somewhat since last year in Tanzania (-8 percentage points), Pakistan (-7) and Egypt (-5).

In several nations, women are generally more likely than men to believe wearing a veil should be a woman’s choice. This is especially true in Pakistan, where 78% of women take this view, compared with 50% of men.

The divide between men and women also is pronounced in Tanzania – 68% of Tanzanian women support a woman’s right to choose whether to wear a veil, while 53% of men hold this view.

Lebanon is the only country in which Muslim men are more likely to believe women should have the right to decide, although this view is widespread among both Lebanese men (91%) and women (80%).

Women and Men in the Workplace

Majorities in five of the eight Muslim publics surveyed oppose restrictions on women and men working together. Large majorities in Turkey, Tanzania, Indonesia, Lebanon and Nigeria disagree with the statement “There should be restrictions on men and women being employed in the same workplace.” However, most Muslims in Jordan and Egypt favor such restrictions. Pakistani Muslims are evenly divided on this question (49% agree, 49% disagree).

In several countries, Muslims are less inclined to support restrictions on men and women in the workplace now then one year ago. In the current poll, 39% of Nigerian Muslims favor restrictions, down from 53% in 2007. Just 11% in Turkey back restrictions, down from 24% last year. Similar declines have taken place in Pakistan (-12 percentage points) and Lebanon (-9).

The gender gap on this question tends to be smaller than on the veil issue, although women are significantly more likely to oppose workplace restrictions in three countries: Jordan, Egypt, and Tanzania. About half (49%) of Jordanian Muslim women oppose these restrictions, compared with just 30% of Muslim men. The gap between Muslim women (48%) and men (34%) in Egypt is only slightly less pronounced. Both Tanzanian women (83%) and men (70%) overwhelmingly oppose workplace restrictions.

In Lebanon, there are also significant differences along sectarian lines. While Lebanese Sunni Muslims are somewhat split on the need for restrictions in the workplace (45% support, 54% oppose), Shia Muslims largely oppose such restrictions (18% agree, 78% disagree).

Ethnocentric attitudes are on the rise 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.

A spring 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Pew Global Attitudes Project finds 46% of the Spanish rating Jews unfavorably. More than a third of Russians (34%) and Poles (36%) echo this view. Somewhat fewer, but still significant numbers of the Germans (25%) and French (20%) interviewed also express negative opinions of Jews. These percentages are all higher than obtained in comparable Pew surveys taken in recent years. In a number of countries, the increase has been especially notable between 2006 and 2008.

Great Britain stands out as the only European country included in the survey where there has not been a substantial increase in anti-Semitic attitudes. Just 9% of the British rate Jews unfavorably, which is largely unchanged from recent years. And relatively small percentages in both Australia (11%) and the United States (7%) continue to view Jews unfavorably.

Opinions about Muslims in almost all of these countries are considerably more negative than are views of Jews. Fully half of Spanish (52%) and German respondents (50%) rate Muslims unfavorably. Opinions about Muslims are somewhat less negative in Poland (46%) and considerably less negative in France (38%). About one-in-four in Britain and the United States (23% each) also voice unfavorable views of Muslims. Overall, there is a clear relationship between anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim attitudes: publics that view Jews unfavorably also tend to see Muslims in a negative light.

The trend in negative views toward Muslims in Europe has occurred over a longer period of time than growing anti-Jewish sentiment. Most of the upswing took place between 2004 and 2006, and there has even been a slight decrease in some countries since 2006.

Negative attitudes toward Christians in Europe are less common than negative ratings of Muslims or Jews. And views about Christians have remained largely stable in recent years, although anti-Christian sentiments have been on the rise in Spain – about one-in-four Spanish (24%) now rate Christians negatively, up from 10% in 2005. Similarly, in France 17% now hold an unfavorable view of Christians, compared with 9% in 2004.

A notable parallel between anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish opinion in Western Europe is that both sentiments are most prevalent among the same groups of people. Older people and those with less education are more anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim than are younger people or those with more education. Looking at combined data from France, Germany and Spain – the three Western European countries where unfavorable opinions of Jews are most common – people ages 50 and older express more negative views of both Jews and Muslims than do those younger than 50. Similarly, Europeans who have not attended college are consistently more likely than those who have to hold unfavorable opinions of both groups.

There are some political parallels too. Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish opinions are most prevalent among Europeans on the political right. For example, among respondents from France, Germany and Spain who place themselves on the political right, 56% express a negative view of Muslims, compared with 42% of those on the left and 45% of those in the center. Similarly, 34% of people on the political right have a negative opinion of Jews, compared with 28% of those on the left and 26% of centrists.

These are among the latest findings from the 2008 Pew Global Attitudes survey. The current report focuses on findings related to religion, and several sections are devoted specifically to issues among Muslim publics. The polling was conducted March-April 2008 in 24 countries from regions throughout the world.¹

Widespread Religiosity

In most of the countries included in the survey, religion is considered a central feature of life. However, this is often less true among younger people. In many nations, including the United States, people under age 40 are less likely than others to say religion is very important to them.

And there is also a notable gender gap in many nations regarding religion’s importance. Consistently, women are more likely than men to say religion plays a very important role in their lives. Among the countries on the survey, the largest gender gap is in the United States, where 65% of women rate religion as very important, compared with only 44% of men.

Muslim Views On Terrorism

The decline in support for terrorism observed in Pew Global Attitudes surveys over the last few years continues this year among Muslims in Nigeria, Turkey and Pakistan. Elsewhere, there has been virtually no change, or in the case of Egypt, a slight increase in support for terrorism.

Since 2002, the percentage saying that suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians are justified to defend Islam from its enemies has declined in most predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. For instance, in 2002 roughly three-in-four Lebanese Muslims (74%) said such attacks could often or sometimes be justified; today, 32% take this view.

Opinions about Osama bin Laden have followed a similar trend. For instance, only three years ago, about six-in-ten (61%) Jordanian Muslims voiced at least some confidence in the al Qaeda leader; today, just 19% express a positive view. In 2003, 20% of Lebanese Muslims and 15% of Turkish Muslims had positive views of bin Laden. Today, seven years after the September 11 attacks, bin Laden’s ratings have plummeted to the low single digits in both countries (Turkey 3%, Lebanon 2%). Still, substantial numbers of Muslims continue to express confidence in bin Laden in Nigeria (58%), Indonesia (37%) and Pakistan (34%).

Conflict in the Muslim World

Most Muslims in the nations surveyed by Pew continue to worry about the rise of Islamic extremism, both at home and abroad. Majorities in Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Nigeria say they are concerned about extremism in their own country and in other countries around the world.

Many are also concerned about growing tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims. There is a widespread perception that Sunni-Shia tensions are not limited to Iraq and instead are a broader problem affecting the Muslim world more generally.

Large numbers of Muslims in several countries surveyed also see a struggle taking place within their countries between Islamic fundamentalists and those who want to modernize the nation. In Turkey, in particular, a large and growing majority sees such a conflict taking place, but this view also is common in Lebanon, Tanzania, Indonesia and Pakistan.

Additional Findings

• France stands out as the most secular nation included in the survey. Only one-in-ten in that country consider religion very important in their lives and 60% say they never pray.
• While European views towards Jews have become more negative, the deepest anti-Jewish sentiments exist outside of Europe, especially in predominantly Muslim nations. The percentage of Turks, Egyptians, Jordanians, Lebanese and Pakistanis with favorable opinions of Jews is in the single digits.
• Two pillars of Islam are commonly practiced by the Muslims surveyed: prayer and fasting. Majorities in most of the eight Muslim publics included pray five times a day and fast most days of Ramadan.
• Views of Hamas tend to be negative in Lebanon, Turkey, and Egypt. Jordan is the only predominantly Muslim country surveyed in which a majority express a positive view of the militant Palestinian organization.
• Views of the militant Lebanese Shia organization Hezbollah are overwhelmingly negative in Turkey, while slim majorities in Egypt and Jordan express positive views of Hezbollah. In Lebanon itself, Hezbollah is almost unanimously popular among the country’s Shia community, but is overwhelmingly unpopular among Sunnis and Christians.
• Saudi Arabia receives positive ratings from most of the publics in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed, although Turkey is an exception; 43% of Turks express an unfavorable view of Saudi Arabia, while just 36% hold a favorable view.

Muslims in Europe worry about their future, but their concern is more economic than religious or cultural. And while there are some signs of tension between Europe’s majority populations and its Muslim minorities, Muslims there do not generally believe that most Europeans are hostile toward people of their faith. Still, over a third of Muslims in France and one-in-four in Spain say they have had a bad experience as a result of their religion or ethnicity.

However, there is little evidence of a widespread backlash against Muslim immigrants among the general publics in Great Britain, France, Germany, and Spain. Majorities continue to express concerns about rising Islamic identity and extremism, but those worries have not intensified in most of the countries surveyed over the past 12 months; a turbulent period that included the London subway bombings, the French riots, and the Danish cartoon controversy.

Opinions held by Muslims in Europe – as well as opinions about Muslims among Europe’s majority populations – vary significantly by country. No clear European point of view emerges with regard to the Muslim experience, either among Muslims or in the majority populations on many issues.

Most notably, France shows no signs of a backlash in response to last year’s riots. In fact, a counter trend seems to have emerged with slightly more French people saying that immigration from the Middle East and North Africa is a good thing than did so a year ago. The French public is also more inclined this year to say that Muslims living in France want to adopt French customs – a view held by an overwhelming majority of Muslims in France. Nor do German and British publics express any increase in negative views of immigrants – although, unlike the French, they are not more positive toward immigrants this year. Meanwhile, the Spanish public’s view toward immigrants has grown slightly more negative over the last year.

But in Britain worries about Islamic extremism are intense among both the general public and the Muslim minority population as well. Concerns about the problem rose markedly this year among the general public. And worries about extremism within the British Muslim community are greater than in France, Germany, and Spain.

The survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project was conducted in 13 countries, including the United States, from March 31-May 14, 2006.¹ It includes special oversamples of Muslim minorities living in Great Britain, France, Germany, and Spain.

The poll finds that Muslims themselves are generally positive about conditions in their host nation. In fact, they are more positive than the general publics in all four European countries about the way things are going in their countries. However, many Muslims, especially in Britain, worry about the future of Muslims in their country.

The greatest concern among Muslim minorities in all four countries is unemployment. Islamic extremism emerges as the number-two worry generally, a concern shared by Western publics as well as Muslims in Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan.

The decline in the importance of religion, adoption of modern roles by women, and influences of popular culture upon youth are generally lower-ranked concerns. Overall, British Muslims express the greatest level of concern about the issues tested.

The majority of European Muslims do not see many or most Europeans as hostile towards Muslims. But substantial numbers of Muslims do perceive such hostility. This belief is most widespread in Germany, where more than half of both Muslims and the general public see many or most Germans as hostile toward Muslims. At the same time, however, German Muslims are the least likely to report personal experiences with discrimination.

German Muslims are also far more inclined than those elsewhere in Europe to see new immigrants as wanting to be distinct – 52% take this view – and German nationals overwhelmingly (76%) share this view. In contrast, in France, 78% of Muslims say that Muslims there want to adopt French customs, though 53% of the general public feels that French Muslims want to remain distinct.

European Muslims show signs of favoring a moderate version of Islam. With the exception of Spanish Muslims, they tend to see a struggle being waged between moderates and Islamic fundamentalists. Among those who see an ongoing conflict, substantial majorities in all four countries say they generally side with the moderates.

Most French and British Muslims think women are better off in their countries than in most Muslim countries. About half of German and Spanish Muslims agree, and very few think women actually have it better in most Muslim countries. Moreover, most are not concerned about Muslim women in Europe taking on modern roles in society (although substantial minorities worry about this).

Religion is central to the identity of European Muslims. With the exception of Muslims in France, they tend to identify themselves primarily as Muslim rather than as British, Spanish, or German. In France, Muslims are split almost evenly on this question. The level of Muslim identification in Britain, Spain, and Germany is similar to that in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Jordan, and even higher than levels in Egypt, Turkey, and Indonesia. By contrast the general populations in Western Europe are far more secular in outlook. Roughly six-in-ten in Spain, Germany, and Britain identify primarily with their country rather than their religion, as do more than eight-in-ten in France.

Americans, however, split about evenly on this question: 42% say they first think of themselves as Christians versus 48% who think of themselves primarily as Americans – a divide close to that found among French Muslims.

Muslims in Europe are most sharply distinguished from the majority populations on opinions about external issues – America, the war on terrorism, Iran, the Middle East.² European Muslims give the United States lower favorability ratings than do general publics in Europe, and in particular, they give the American people lower ratings. The war on terror is extremely unpopular among minority Muslim populations – German Muslims register the highest level of support, at 31%.

While Iran is viewed unfavorably in Western Europe and the United States, it receives very positive marks from British and Spanish Muslims, while French and German Muslims are divided. European Muslims take a much more positive view of the Hamas victory in the Palestinian elections in January than do the majority populations, and perhaps not surprisingly, they are also much more likely to side with Palestinians in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In general, European Muslim opinions on external issues are quite similar to those expressed in predominantly Muslim countries.

About This Report

The report’s detailed findings are presented below. A description of the Pew Global Attitudes Project can be found at the end of the report, along with a summary of the survey’s methodology and complete topline results.

Little Anti-Muslim Backlash

Despite concerns about an anti-Muslim backlash in the wake of a string of highly publicized events involving Muslims living in Europe – subway bombings in London, controversy over Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad, rioting by Muslim youth in France – most Muslims living in Europe do not feel that most or even many Europeans are hostile toward people of their faith. Indeed, European Muslims are, in general, more satisfied with national conditions than are the general publics of these countries.

Substantial majorities of Muslims living in the European countries surveyed say that in the last two years they have not had any personally bad experience attributable to their race, ethnicity or religion. In France, however, where riots last fall pitted Muslim youth against French police, 37% of Muslims report a bad encounter, while in Britain 28% report being the target of discrimination.

Muslims in Spain are the least concerned about European anti-Muslim sentiment – fewer than a third (31%) say most or many Europeans have hostile attitudes compared with 64% who see only some or very few as hostile. In Great Britain, 42% of Muslims judge that many or most of their European hosts are unfriendly, while in France, 39% of resident Muslims share that view. Only in Germany does a narrow 51%-majority of resident Muslims view most (22%) or many (29%) Europeans as hostile.

In some of the European host countries surveyed, the general public agrees precisely with these assessments. In Great Britain, 40% of the public sees most or many of their fellow countrymen as hostile to Muslims compared with 42% of British Muslims taking that view; in Germany, 63% of the larger public agrees with the 51% of Muslims who see most or many of their hosts as hostile. But in France a considerably larger number among the public (56%) see substantial hostility toward Muslims than do Muslims themselves (39%). And in Spain, nearly twice as many in the overall population (60%) see most or many Europeans as hostile to Muslims as do Spanish Muslim, only 31% of whom share that view.

One of the biggest perception gaps exists in Nigeria. There 28% of Christians say most or many Europeans are hostile toward Muslims, compared with 50% of Nigerian Muslims who believe this. Muslims in the Mideast and Asia judge European hostility to be considerably more widespread than do European Muslims. As many as 63% in Egypt, 61% in Pakistan, 57% in Turkey and 50% in Jordan say that most or many Europeans are hostile to Muslims.

Immigrants Mostly Still Welcome

The poll finds little evidence of a general rise in anti-immigration sentiment. With the continuing exception of Germany, majorities in the European countries surveyed say it is a “good thing” that people from the Middle East and North Africa came to work in their countries.

These levels of acceptance are essentially unchanged from those recorded a year earlier. However, in France a somewhat greater percentage now call such immigration a good thing, while in Spain a somewhat smaller percentage say it is good.

Germany is the outlier in this regard with only 34% of Germans calling immigration from the Middle East and North Africa a good thing compared with 59% who deem it a bad thing. However, Germans are no more welcoming to those migrating from Eastern Europe; only 36% call such immigration a good thing.

Across the board, immigrants from Eastern Europe are no more and no less welcome than those from predominantly Muslim countries. In Great Britain, Spain, and France, as in Germany, the numbers among the general public calling immigration from Eastern Europe a good thing are virtually identical to those expressing approval of immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa.

More European Muslims approve of immigration from the Middle East and North Africa into the country where they now reside than do the general populations of those countries. Among Muslims in Great Britain, fully 75% call such immigration a good thing; in France, 83% and in Spain, 85%. Germany again is the exception, with Muslims there splitting 42%-46% on the good-bad question, although the 42% of Muslim approvers is still significantly higher than the 34% of the general public that agrees with that judgment.

Concerns About the Future

Although most European Muslims are satisfied with the general direction of the countries they live in, large majorities are still concerned about the future of Muslims in their country. British Muslims are the most concerned – eight-in-ten (80%) are at least somewhat concerned including about half (49%) who are very concerned. French Muslims follow closely behind in their anxiety, with 72% saying they are either very (38%) or somewhat (34%) concerned. The numbers of Muslims very concerned about the future are somewhat lower in Germany (28%) and Spain (30%) although substantial majorities in both countries say they are at least somewhat worried as they look ahead.

Of the issues tested in the survey, unemployment is the biggest concern of European Muslims, with majorities in the mid-50% range in France, Germany and Spain and a 46%-plurality in Britain saying they are very worried about joblessness. In addition, between a quarter and a third of the remaining Muslim samples express at least some concern on this issue.

Muslims in Britain emerge as the most worried on every other issue tested, with 45% very worried about the decline of the importance of religion among their co-religionists, 44% very concerned about the influence of the secular culture (movies, music and television) on their youth, and, to a lesser but still leading degree, the adoption of modern roles in society by Muslim women (22% very concerned). Elsewhere in Europe these issues – especially the emergence of women – engender intense concern among relatively few Muslims.

In fact, not only is the entry of women into modern roles of little or no concern to most European Muslims, it is apparently welcomed by many. About six-in-ten British and French Muslims, and about half of German and Spanish Muslims, believe the quality of life is better for women in their countries than in most Muslim countries. In all four countries, the share of Muslims saying women in their countries are worse off is less than 20%. Muslim women in Europe are slightly more likely than men to see the quality of life as better for women in their country than in most Muslim countries. However, in Spain Muslim women were considerably more likely than men to believe this.

Extremism among European Muslims is a common source of worry among Muslim minorities in Europe. In particular, Muslims in Great Britain are very concerned. As many express concerns about this (44%) as are very worried about unemployment. Extremism is of somewhat less concern in France (30% very worried), Germany (23%) and Spain (22%), although in all these countries more than four-in-ten Muslims say they are at least somewhat concerned.

Blending In

Most Europeans doubt that Muslims coming into their countries want to adopt their national customs and way of life. Substantial majorities in Germany (76%), Great Britain (64%), Spain (67%) and Russia (69%) say that Muslims in their country want to remain distinct from the larger society.

Fewer French, but still a 53%-majority, agree. However, the percentage of the general public in France that believes newly arrived Muslims want to blend into the French way of life has increased significantly since last year. In the 2005 survey only 36% of the French public said that Muslims want to adopt the French way of life while 59% said they want to remain distinct; now 46% say adopt, 53% say remain distinct.

For their part, Muslims in France, Great Britain, and Spain are substantially more likely than their general publics to say that Muslims want to adopt the customs and way of life of the country into which they immigrate. Indeed, nearly eight-in-ten French Muslims (78%) believe this.

Again, Germany is different: Only 30% of German Muslims think Muslims coming into that country today want to assimilate – most say they want to be separate and most Germans agree.

Islamic Identification

Perceptions of the strength of Islamic identity among Muslims have changed little over the year. Substantial majorities in both Western Europe and the United States continue to believe Muslims in their country have a very or fairly strong sense of Islamic identity.

European Muslims’ perceptions largely match those of the general public, with the exception of Germany. While 84% of the German public sees Muslims having a strong Islamic identity, only 46% of Muslims living in Germany agree.

As to whether that sense of Islamic identity is increasing, strong majorities among the general publics in Great Britain (69%), France (68%), and Germany (72% – up from 66% in 2005) say that it is (as do 69% in India and 56% in Russia). In Spain, however, only a 46%-plurality sees an intensifying Islamic identity – a view shared by Muslims in that country.

Muslims in Great Britain, however, are the most likely of all groups sampled to see a strengthening of Islamic identity with fully 77% agreeing.

In France and Germany, by contrast, the proportion of Muslims who see Islamic identity intensifying (58% and 54%, respectively) is smaller than among the general public.

European Muslims who think Islamic identity is growing tend to consider it a good thing. This is especially so in Great Britain, where 86% say the perceived intensifying trend is a good thing, and Spain where 75% agree.

Most Westerners (as well as Indians) strongly disagree. Among those in the French general public who see Islamic identity on the rise, 87% call it a bad thing; in Germany, 83% say so; in Spain (82%); in India, 78%.

For those in the United States, Western Europe, Russia and India who see growing Islamic identity as a bad thing, the primary concern cited is that it may lead to violence. However, many are also worried that it may keep Muslims from integrating into the larger society. For Muslims in Germany who see growing Islamic identity as worrisome, concern about retarding integration is paramount for 58%, while fewer than one-in-five worry about violence. Among French Muslims, concerns are spilt between violence (40%) and integration (45%). In most countries, an attendant loss of freedom tended to be of lesser concern.

For guidance on religious matters, Muslims in Europe, as well as in most of the larger Islamic world, turn to their local Imam, as well as to national and international religious leaders. Local religious leaders are especially consulted in Nigeria, where 64% of Muslims see them as the most trustworthy source of guidance; in Indonesia, where 60% do so; and in Pakistan and Great Britain where more than four-in-ten Muslims do so. The only countries in which large numbers – about one-in-four – turn first to religious leaders on television are the two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan.

Self-Perceptions

Large percentages of Muslims in Europe say they think of themselves first as a Muslim rather than as a citizen of their country. The tendency is strongest in Great Britain where 81% in the Muslim oversample self-identify as Muslim rather than British, while in Spain 69% do so and in Germany 66%. In sharp contrast, Muslims living in France are far less likely to identify first with their faith rather their nationality. While a 46%-plurality identifies first as a Muslim, a nearly equal 42% see themselves as primarily French, while an additional 10% say both equally.

The levels seen in Britain, Spain, and Germany are comparable to those seen in most of the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. In Pakistan, 87% primarily identify as Muslims; in Jordan, 67% do so. In Nigeria, 71% of Muslims see themselves as Muslims first, whereas a smaller 53%-majority of Christians primarily identify with their faith.

In Turkey a slight 51%-majority now self-identifies as Muslim rather than Turkish, although this is a substantial rise from the 43% who did so in 2005. Among Muslim countries in the survey, only in Indonesia does the public split 39%-36% between primary national and religious identity, with 25% selecting both equally.

By contrast, Christians in European countries overwhelmingly self-identify with their respective nationalities rather than with their faith. And in India, fully 90% of the public self-identifies as Indian rather than Hindu.

Indeed, among non-Muslim nations, the United States is the outlier in terms of religious self-identification with the public closely split on the question of primary identification. Fully 42% of U.S. Christians say they think of themselves as Christians first rather than as Americans, compared with 48% who self-identify primarily as Americans; an additional 7% say both equally.

Concern About Islamic Extremism

The poll found no overall rise in concern about extremism among the general publics of nations with Muslim minorities. The percentage of the general public very worried about Islamic extremism was greater this year in the U.S., Britain, and Germany; however, it was unchanged in France and considerably lower in Spain and Russia.

Germans are the most concerned about rising Islamic extremism in their country with 82% of the general public saying they are very (40%) or somewhat (42%) concerned. However, concern was nearly as high a year ago when 78% of Germans expressed such concern including 35% who then said they were very concerned.

Great Britain, however, has seen an increase in worries about Islamic extremism over the last year, with 77% of the public now saying they are very (42%) or somewhat (35%) concerned. Strikingly, these concerns are largely shared by Muslims living in Britain, among whom 43% say they are very concerned and 26% say they are somewhat concerned.

In France, despite that country’s recent experience with riots, worry about Islamic extremism has remained essentially stable over the last year (76% of the public is at least somewhat concerned including 30% very concerned). And in Spain and Russia, such concerns have declined considerably.

As in Great Britain, most Muslims in France and Germany are also worried about extremism. However, Muslims in Spain are divided on this issue, with 46% expressing at least some concern and 49% expressing little or no concern.

By contrast, in the predominantly Muslim countries of Egypt, Pakistan, and Jordan large majorities (68%, 74%, and 69%, respectively) are very or somewhat concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism in those countries. And in India, with its substantial Muslim minority, 85% of the predominately Hindu public expresses such concern, essentially the same number as did so last year.

In Nigeria the level of concern is somewhat lower – a small majority (54%) of the public worries about Islamic extremism there. Muslims in Nigeria are significantly more likely than Christians to be concerned about Islamic extremism.

Consistent with these concerns, majorities or pluralities of Muslims in Britain (58%), France (56%), and Germany (49%) believe there is a struggle in their country between moderates and Islamic fundamentalists. Again, Spanish Muslims differ from their European counterparts, with a majority (65%) saying they do not see such a struggle, a view they share with 60% of Nigerian Muslims.

In all four European countries – and especially in France – those who do see a struggle heavily side with the moderates. In Nigeria, however, Muslims split evenly on this question.

Riots & Protests

Awareness of last year’s riots in France is relatively high among both the general publics and Muslim minorities in Western Europe, ranging among the general population from 91% in Germany to 78% in Spain and among Muslims from 86% in Germany to 63% in Britain. In Japan, 89% had heard the news.

Those who had heard about the riots were less numerous in the United States (55%) and in the Muslim world. In Turkey, 61% had heard about the riots, in Jordan 47%. But awareness levels in other Muslim countries ranged downward from 35% in Egypt, to 23% in Nigeria, 18% in Indonesia and 11% in Pakistan.

By and large, European Muslims – irrespective of their views about the riots per se – say they are sympathetic to the youths from immigrant and working class suburbs in France who felt frustrated by their place in French society. Muslims in Great Britain are most sympathetic (75% so indicate) followed by those in France and Spain (63% of Muslims in both countries).

In Germany, however, more among the general public (64%) express sympathy than among the predominantly Turkish Muslims in that country, 53% of whom say they sympathize with the frustrations of French youth.

In general, Western publics are divided on this issue – only 37% of the Spanish public sympathizes with the French youth.

And despite more positive French views on many related issues this year, only 46% of the French general public takes the side of the country’s alienated young.

Regarding publication of cartoons featuring the prophet Mohammad in a Danish newspaper, the most common way in which people heard about the controversy that ensued was through television, although in Nigeria people were more likely to hear of it via radio or through family and friends.

Few in any country mentioned a church or mosque or the internet as the source of their awareness.