Study Finds Anti-Western Bias Among Arabs Just a Myth

by Jalal Ghazi

Analyzing the views of 3,800 Arab adults from eight countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel), "What Arabs Think" takes the first-ever probing look at Arab beliefs. In the just released book, Arabs answer numerous probing questions such as "What matters most in life?" "What values do you teach your children?" "How do you define yourself?" and "What do you think about your own nation?" The wide-ranging benchmark study was designed to push the envelope further than any previous regional study, and provide a rare but acutely accurate reflection of the attitudes and values of Arabs.

Conducted by Zogby International and commissioned by The Arab Thought Foundation, "What Arabs Think" outlines a number of shared priorities among Americans and Arabs.

By far, the most important political issues in all the countries polled were civil and personal rights, and health care. With the exception of Lebanon, Arabs in all the other countries polled are satisfied with their financial situation and optimistic about their economic future. While outlining common beliefs, "What Arabs Think" also points to some significant gaps between Americans and Arabs. Most notably, Arabs view the Palestinian issue as an important personal concern, not a foreign policy matter or political issue. This may help explain why most Arabs believe that for the U.S. to improve its standing in the Arab World it must "be more balanced" in its policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Breaking long-held stereotypes about the Arab world and its supposed anti-Western sentiment, France, Canada and Germany receive among the highest approval ratings, demonstrating that low approval ratings for the United States and the United Kingdom stem from those countries' foreign policies.

And finally, although many uninformed regional observers often concentrate on the differences among independent Arab nations, Arab citizens choose to identify themselves as "Arab" over their nationality or religious affiliation.

"For too long Arab public opinion has either been ignored or framed in discussions informed only by bias or anecdotes. With this landmark study we now have concrete data that will help policy makers, researchers and commentators better understand 'What Arabs Think.' The Arab Thought Foundation has done us all a great service by sponsoring this effort," said Dr. Zogby, the study's author.