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Research conducted by Gallup showed that Bush was not telling the truth and on the contrary, Muslims admire for the freedom and technological developments of the Western World.
Public opinion researches giving the results opposite to the customary and memorized propagandas or not supporting the views of dominating powers are bound to face with the campaigns of denigration and destruction.
Each person and each group loves his or her own community’s public opinion. In fact, public opinion researches are useful for just and neutral people, as long as those researches are realistic ones; they give significant opportunities to the sensible people and are able to examine their opinions and settle them on the strong bases.
Between 2001 and 2007, a public opinion research was conducted by Gallup, interviewing with more than fifty thousand people from 35 Islamic countries for 6 years. The aim of that research is to learn the views of Muslims, regarding the Western World and some current issues. The results of that study which covered all the Islamic World were published under the title of “Who speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think?” by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed.
“Timeturk” (www.timeturk.com) repeatedly transmitted that search and as far as I know, Abdulhamit Bilici and Ibrahim Kalın wrote about the mentioned research at Today’s Zaman daily on March 5 and March 27, 2008.
But, regarding the issue, the most interesting and significant article named as “Who does speak for Islam ?” was written by Hillel Fradkin, the Director of “Centre for Islam, Democracy and the future of Islamic world” of Hudson Institute, described as “the hegemonic centre of the global capital, big firms and the military, cultural and mental instruments of the U.S.A.” and “the scenario institution “ financed by Israeli rightists for monitoring their goals, actions and longings” by Umur Talu (June 17, 2007). Most of us remember the Hudson Institute thanks to the meeting held before July 22, in Washington, with the participation of high-ranked Turkish military officials as well, and Zeyno Baran, the Director of Turkish Department of Hudson Institute, who commented as “There is a chance of %50 of military coup in Turkey” to the weekly Newsweek Magazine. At that meeting, dark scenarios were discussed. Quite some time passed after that meeting, but confidential activities would never end at Hudson Institute, would they?
Let’s return to the mentioned article above. As you would predict, Fradkin does not express his regret that the results of that research were completely opposite to the claims on which the U.S. Politics is based. On the contrary, he is trying to knock down research and accusing Esposito and Gallup for not being scientific. According to Fradkin, those writers are betraying to their own words of “The results must direct the views”. Because, according to him, there is no such a result! In fact, that research of Gallup is the most extensive of its kind. As I have heard from the writers participating in the program of Ritz Khan of Aljazeera English Channel, that research covers the views of %80 Muslims. However, according to Fradkin, it is not efficient. He thinks that the views of a few Neo-conservatives are more realistic and satisfying. We can understand that what worries Fradkin is the publishing of the information and comments regarding Islam in that book. According to Fradkin, Esposito always behaves like that. Fradkin even accused Esposito and Gallup of being liars.
It is not easy to stop Fradkin: He says that because of that wrong mentality of that book, it cannot be taken as a reference. He declares that he did not believe in the results which state that the concept of clash of the civilizations has no base in the Islamic World; Muslims support the freedom of thought and speech and the equality of the genders.
That research was initiated after the speech made by George Bush who asked as “Why do they hate the U.S.?” following the attacks of Sept. 11th. At that time, George Bush said: “They hate democratic government, freedom of faith and expression.” But, that research conducted by Gallup showed that Bush was not telling the truth and on the contrary, Muslims admire for the freedom and technological developments of the Western World. Hillel Fradkin is determined to think that Muslims can’t think properly and they are not the sincere ones. According to him, Muslims would like to have a kind of Islamic Democracy rather than the Western Democracy. He thinks that Muslims desire for a limited freedom of thought and expression and they think that the ideas and expressions of defamation by must be restricted.
In short, regarding the issues of Islamic World and Muslims, the mentality of Fradkin and U.S. Government has the same codes.
Now, the voice of the silent crowds must be echoed louder and stronger. Because, hawks like foggy, hazy and silent weather so much.