FRESH SURVEY REVEALS ISLAM-WEST RIFT

There is a lack of understanding between Muslims in the Middle East and Asia and westerners, with both being suspicious of each other, a new opinion survey reveals.

Westerners are generally sceptical of Muslim values, according to the report by Pew Research Center in Washington DC published on Thursday (22 June).

People in Europe and the US also often believe that there is a conflict between being a devout Muslim and living in a western society at the same time.

Muslims in the Middle East and Asia generally think that westerners are egocentric and morally wrong, according to the report, which points out that there is a "great divide" between Muslim and western civilisations.

"The state of relations is not very good," said Richard Wike from Pew research, according to CNN. "Many in the West see Muslims as fanatical, violent and as lacking tolerance. Meanwhile, Muslims in the Middle East and Asia generally see Westerners as selfish, immoral and greedy - as well as violent and fanatical."

This years upheaval caused by Danish paper Jyllands Posten's printing drawings of the prophet Muhammed highlighted the problem, researchers behind the report said.

"Most people in Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and Turkey blame the controversy on Western nations' disrespect for the Islamic religion," the report said. "In contrast, majorities of Americans and Western Europeans who have heard of the controversy say Muslims' intolerance to different points of view is more to blame."

Muslims living in European countries, on the other hand, tend to hold views that they are midway between the people they live with and the people living in Muslim countries.

They are less anti-Semitic than other Muslims, somewhat less likely to see a conflict between their religion and western society, and less tolerant of suicide bombings and other terrorist activities, according to the survey.

Researchers asked 14,000 residents in 13 countries in Europe, the Muslim world and the US in April and May this year for the survey called "The great divide: How westerners and Muslims view each other".