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Why Do They Hate Us?
Arab attitudes toward the American people were mixed (somewhat paralleling U.S. attitudes toward the Arab people). They range from a high favorable rating in Lebanon (63 to 33) to a low rating in Egypt, with only 35% favorable and 47% unfavorable. The other countries were more evenly split. The three non-Arab Muslim countries displayed wide variation in views toward the Americans. Pakistan had the most favorable attitude, 71%, while Iran had the lowest, 34%. Venezuela and France showed strong favorable attitudes toward Americans. Kuwaiti citizens were more favorably inclined than non-citizens; the opposite was true in the U.A.E. Age, along with Internet and satellite TV access, had a measurable impact in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
American movies and television were well received by majorities in all countries except France. The highest approval ratings were found in Venezuela, Indonesia and Iran, with UAE, Lebanon and Pakistan close behind. Of the five Arab countries covered in the poll, two-thirds of those interviewed in Lebanon and the U.A.E. were favorably disposed to what is perhaps America’s leading export. Favorable majorities also existed in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Strong majorities in the three non-Arab Muslim countries were also favorably inclined toward American movies and television, with Indonesia and Iran showing the most favorable ratings. Of all of the countries covered in the poll, Venezuela displayed the highest rating of approval for American movies and television, 82%, while France had the lowest rating, 47%. Age was a significant factor in the effort to measure attitudes toward American movies and television. Young people were substantially more favorably inclined toward those products in every country except Venezuela (because the favorable was so high, age had no impact). Internet and satellite access were also important factors in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, U.A.E. and Indonesia.
American-made products had a huge number of fans in the nations polled – majorities everywhere. Among the five Arab countries, Lebanon and U.A.E. were the most favorable. However, there were substantial minorities who were cool: in Egypt (45%), Saudi Arabia (44%), Kuwait (39%). In the three non-Arab Muslim countries, extraordinarily strong majorities were favorable toward American-made products. The same was true in Venezuela, while in France only a simple majority, 51%, was favorable toward American-made products. As in other areas, age and Internet and satellite access were factors in determining favorability, but the impact was less. Only in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and France did these three factors make a measurable difference in attitudes.
American education received high grades in all countries except Iran and France. In every Arab country, the youngest polled were most enthusiastic about American education – though that was not the case in all of the non-Arab countries. Those with the highest percentages of Internet access were most positive everywhere except Iran and France. Strong majorities in all five Arab countries were favorable toward American education, ranging from highs in Lebanon and the U.A.E. (where 8 in 10 are favorable) to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where the favorable-unfavorable ratings were almost 2 to 1. Pakistan and Indonesia were extremely favorable toward American education, as was Venezuela. Only Iran and France had negative attitudes (Iran 20 to 67, and France 27 to 44). In Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, young people with access to the Internet and satellite TV were much more favorably inclined toward American education than older people with no access.
The U.S. was given single-digit favorable ratings on its dealings with the Arab nations by every Arab nation (except U.A.E. where it was 15%, driven mostly by the large numbers of non-UAE citizens included in the poll) and Pakistan (18%). Support was extremely low in Iran (1%), and Indonesia (6%), and only slightly better in Pakistan (18%), France (17%), and Venezuela (36%).
On U.S. policy toward the Palestinians, the numbers were even lower. Notably, the negative ratings were at least three in four everywhere but in Venezuela, and were about nine in ten in every Arab nations except the U.A.E., where it was closer to eight in ten.
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