A Gallup survey of Islamic societies showed that most Muslim women feel their religion is being disrespected in the West, Access News reported.
The poll, released Tuesday by the Gallup organization, interviewed more than 1,000 Muslim women from eight Islamic states: Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
The findings of “What Women Want: Listening to the Voices of Muslim Women" showed that most Muslim women admire Western political freedom and gender equality.
But the majority of those interviewed said they resented “moral decay” in Western societies, according to Dalia Mogahed, executive director of Muslim studies at the Gallup Organization.
One 22-year-old Moroccan woman said she resented "the disrespect of women by men" in the West, Mogahed said.
The survey found that Hollywood movies made Muslims view the United States as a center of promiscuity, pornography and public indecency.
According to Mogahed, many Muslims also felt that their religion was being disrespected or was "under attack."
Respondents said Westerners should stop degrading the Islamic religion and that the Western society should stop viewing Muslims as inferior. They said a greater respect of Islam by non-Muslims in the West is needed to improve American-Islamic relations.
Mogahed also said that most Muslim women said they should have the right to vote, drive, work outside the home and to lead and serve in government.
"There is a consciousness of deserved rights," she said.
However, she said that Muslim women were hopeful that social changes would come.
"Optimism among Muslim women was higher than men," she said. "Things are getting better. The future is brighter."
The Gallup organization conducted another survey that asked more than 1,000 American adults about their view of the Muslim world.
When asked about what they respect about the Islamic world, they said: “nothing” or “I don’t know”, according to Eric Nielsen, a spokesman for Gallup.
Lynn Olson, director of organizational development for Sisters Cities International, which works to build relationships among countries, said hearing about Americans’ lack of knowledge on the Islamic world was shocking.
"In Western culture, we think that right and normal is us," Olson said. "We have no perception of other cultures that have different views of the world."
Olson, who described the findings as “insulting”, said Americans need more education about other cultures.
Tuesday’s findings were the first phase of the survey, which Gallup expects to finish in late 2006. The polling organization plans to interview Muslims in 39 countries with large numbers of Muslim people.
AlJazeera
The poll, released Tuesday by the Gallup organization, interviewed more than 1,000 Muslim women from eight Islamic states: Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
The findings of “What Women Want: Listening to the Voices of Muslim Women" showed that most Muslim women admire Western political freedom and gender equality.
But the majority of those interviewed said they resented “moral decay” in Western societies, according to Dalia Mogahed, executive director of Muslim studies at the Gallup Organization.
One 22-year-old Moroccan woman said she resented "the disrespect of women by men" in the West, Mogahed said.
The survey found that Hollywood movies made Muslims view the United States as a center of promiscuity, pornography and public indecency.
According to Mogahed, many Muslims also felt that their religion was being disrespected or was "under attack."
Respondents said Westerners should stop degrading the Islamic religion and that the Western society should stop viewing Muslims as inferior. They said a greater respect of Islam by non-Muslims in the West is needed to improve American-Islamic relations.
Mogahed also said that most Muslim women said they should have the right to vote, drive, work outside the home and to lead and serve in government.
"There is a consciousness of deserved rights," she said.
However, she said that Muslim women were hopeful that social changes would come.
"Optimism among Muslim women was higher than men," she said. "Things are getting better. The future is brighter."
The Gallup organization conducted another survey that asked more than 1,000 American adults about their view of the Muslim world.
When asked about what they respect about the Islamic world, they said: “nothing” or “I don’t know”, according to Eric Nielsen, a spokesman for Gallup.
Lynn Olson, director of organizational development for Sisters Cities International, which works to build relationships among countries, said hearing about Americans’ lack of knowledge on the Islamic world was shocking.
"In Western culture, we think that right and normal is us," Olson said. "We have no perception of other cultures that have different views of the world."
Olson, who described the findings as “insulting”, said Americans need more education about other cultures.
Tuesday’s findings were the first phase of the survey, which Gallup expects to finish in late 2006. The polling organization plans to interview Muslims in 39 countries with large numbers of Muslim people.
AlJazeera
