Study - Public Opinion in Iran and USA on Key International Issues

[boracay]

Quite informative:
Public Opinion in Iran and America on Key International Issues (The University of Maryland; january 2007)

Among others, key findings of the study were clash of civilisations, terrorism, US-Iran relations, nuclear issue, globalization, democracy, Iraq, etc.

Findings are very informative for those who are very loud about nuking those extremists… here are some findings:

71% Americans and exactly the same Iranians favor the idea of having a nuclear weapons free zone in the middle east that would include both Islamic countries and Israel.

63% Iranians vs 60% Americans believe that globalization is mostly good for Iran.

Clash of civilizations - a substantially larger minority of Americans than Iranians believe that conflict is inevitable.

some interesting:
80% of Iranians believe that attacks at civilians are never justified, while only 46% of Americans believe the same.

Overwhelming majorities of Iranians rejected as “never justified:” attacks on women and children (91%), the elderly (92%), and “wives and children of the military” (86%)…
…compared to Americans “never justified” attacks on: women and children 72%, the elderly 71% and wives and children of the military 74%.
Never justified attacks on government officials (53% I vs 24% A), policemen (49% I vs 37% A), intelligence agents (54% I vs 23% A).

some frightening in case of war:
62% of Iranians think of themselves primarily as a member of their religion and only 27% as a citizen of Iran.

Frightening because I'd say about the same numbers are probably in all other Middle East countries.

[Woolygimp]

One thing you left out of that poll is that the majority of Iranian citizens feel that killing Israeli civilians is justified.

53% of them are in favor of Palestinians targeting Israeli civilians.

[LooseCaller]

[ QUOTE ]
62% of Iranians think of themselves primarily as a member of their religion and only 27% as a citizen of Iran.

Frightening because I'd say about the same numbers are probably in all other Middle East countries.

[/ QUOTE ]

arent we really past the point of thinking this makes a difference about anything? in fact, im happy that a larger percentage define themselves by their religion than by their state because the ideology of the leader of the iranian govt is scary and oftentimes completely irrational.

and yes, i realize that religious ideology fits this bill as well, but i think most of you understand my point.

[John Kilduff]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
62% of Iranians think of themselves primarily as a member of their religion and only 27% as a citizen of Iran.

Frightening because I'd say about the same numbers are probably in all other Middle East countries.

[/ QUOTE ]

arent we really past the point of thinking this makes a difference about anything? in fact, im happy that a larger percentage define themselves by their religion than by their state because the ideology of the leader of the iranian govt is scary and oftentimes completely irrational.


[/ QUOTE ]

The Iranian government, too, defines itself by its religion. The Iranian President, Mullahs, the Council of Experts - they all define themselves and the Iranian government by their religion.

Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (wikipedia)

Sharia (wikipedia)