Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
Diane Ellis, Ed. ·
Jul 27, 2011 at 11:07am
The following is a sampling of questions and results from the questionnaire and raw data file that were used to compile the report Values, Dreams, Ideals: Muslim Youth in Southeast Asia. The questionnaire polled individuals aged 15 through 25 from Indonesia and Malaysia on a variety of cultural, political, and religious topics. The questions and answers I've reproduced below were especially fascinating to me.
- The statement, "Iran has the right to have nuclear weapons," was rejected by 51.6% to 35.8% among Indonesian youths, but endorsed by 58.9% to 39.4% among Malaysian youths.
- The statement, "United States is an enemy of Islam," was rejected by 63.2% to 29.5% among Indonesian youths, but endorsed by 67% to 31.6% among Malaysian youths.
- The statement, "Suicide bombers are needed to defend Islam," was rejected by 77.5% to 15.9% among Indonesian youths, and rejected by 55.8% to 43.3% among Malaysian youths.
- The statement, "Osama bin Laden is an Islamic liberation fighter," was endorsed by 50.7% to 28.1% among Indonesian youths, and endorsed by 62.4% to 33.3% among Malaysian youths.
- The statement, "Terrorism gives Islam a bad image," was endorsed by 63.5% to 31.5% among Indonesian youths, and endorsed by 59.3% to 39.8% among Malaysian youths.
- To the question, "Do you think Barack Obama, the first black president of United States of America, can reduce the tension between western countries and the Islamic world?" 60.4% to 30.2% of Indonesian youths answered "yes," but 57.7% to 37.6% of Malaysian youths answered "no"
(h/t Eugene Volokh)
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Comments :
Jun '10
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
Three observations and one question:
1. Young Malaysian Muslims are more militant than young Indonesian Muslims.
2. Close to one-third of young Indonesian Muslims are sympathetic to terrorism and view America as an enemy. A much larger number of young Malaysian Muslims are sympathetic to terrorism and view America as an enemy. Even though Indonesia is less militant, a huge number are sympathetic to terrorism.
3. With this kind of numbers, Islamic terrorism won't be going away any time soon.
4. What did we ever do to Malaysia?
Aug '10
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
Do we ?
Sukarno
Edited on Jul 27, 2011 at 1:16pmAug '10
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
Sounds like some future problems for the new hegemon in the neighborhood. One that doesn't particularly treat their own muslims (Uihgurs) with a great deal of respect.
Is this why Burma/ Myanmar is trying so hard to get their hands on a nuke ? So they can get some attention ? They don't have the access to their own resources and they thrive on repression with only 14 yrs of democracy in their history.
It's a very complex problem, wholly unlike MENA. Indonesia has 750+ languages,Malaysia 125.
Mar '11
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
A couple observations in passing (and thanks, Diane, for posting. I saw this on Volokh earlier and hadn't had the chance--but it is an important story)
1) indonesia has the largest Muslim population on the planet.
2) Malaysia is poorer and less industrial than even Indonesia.
3) Ages were from 15 to 25. Think about polls in our own nation of 15 to 25 year olds.
4) Bin Laden's legacy is not going away tomorrow.
5) There are major opportunities for outreach in Indonesia and Malaysia that the United States should not pass up. Retracting our presence in Asia will not yield better neighbors in the Pacific.
6) The Indian Ocean will be an hugely strategically important area in the 21st century.
Sep '10
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
I spoke with an important member of The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) several months ago. I am only withholding the name, because we never discussed my posting his comments on the web. I asked him, "What do most of the kids in the Middle East want?" He said that they want to come to the United States and live. He said that the quickest way to stop them from becoming terrorists was to give them a visa and a job in the U.S.A. He said that they don't care about democracy there, because they want to be here. He said that democracy there would still be "there" and they want out. This goes along with the long-held belief that most Palestinians prefer to live in the Israeli-controlled areas, because it is much more safe and economically much more lucrative. So, let's turn Madison Avenue loose on the Middle Eastern (Muslim) 14-30 year old males. There's nothing like good pizzas, Playstation's, and half-naked chicks to make you want to keep on living. Am I right?
Edited on Jul 27, 2011 at 5:07pmDec '10
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
Topics such as this one make me smile and think of Kate at SDA, when she posts a subject under the heading, "The Children Are Our Future", (usually followed by a comment like, "And that's why I work hard at target practice").
Mar '11
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
These numbers are well over Ben's 20% criterion. And these are both relatively moderate Muslim countries.
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
I'd need to understand a lot about how this polling was done before I'd even begin to think it said anything useful. Since I don't have time to look at it carefully right now, I'll just say that I've often looked closely at polls like this and spotted "Throw it in the dumpster"-level methodological flaws right in the first paragraph. First thing I'd ask about it is who, exactly, the Merdeka Center is, and whether their polls on more specific issues, like election forecasting, have proven to have predictive value. (They're the ones, not the Goethe Institute, that actually did the polling.) I'm not saying anything against this poll, I'm only saying that I treat polls everywhere with caution, and in this part of the world with triple-caution.
May '10
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
Crow's Nest: A couple observations i....
2) Malaysia is poorer and less industrial than even Indonesia.
....
No way. Look here. Remember Indonesia is about 9 times bigger than Malaysia. Malaysia is a middle-class country and has been for quite a while. I first visited Malaysia in about 1971 and even then government workers lived in modern houses with driveways, refrigerators, TVs, and water flush toilets.
Comparing the ethnic mix gives some clues to the attitudes. Malaysian moslems are slightly less than 50% of the pop. but the economy is dominated by the Chinese (and Indian) minorities. This produces a smoldering resentment that comes out in the form of identifying with the moslem arab world and opposing the USA.
Edited on Jul 27, 2011 at 8:55pmMar '11
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
Outrstripp: I mis-wrote and stand corrected.
Sep '10
Re: Muslim Youths in Southeast Asia Opine About the World
Nothing. Too serious? Not serious enough?