One in four Ghanaians support suicide bombing, poll finds

In a poll, conducted by the Pew Research Centre for a Paris-based newspaper, more than one out of four respondents in Ghana said that suicide bombing was justifiable in defence of Islam.

The same poll found that people of nearly every Moslem country oppose the U.S.-led war on terrorism, with significant segments even supporting terrorism in defence of Islam, according to the same poll published Thursday in the English-language International Herald Tribune.

Among the Moslem countries surveyed, only two, Mali and Uzbekistan, supported the war on terrorism.

On the other hand, "more than half of Lebanese expressed opposition ..., as did about 8 in 10 Egyptians and Jordanians", the newspaper reported.

In addition, more than one out of four respondents in Senegal and Uganda said that suicide bombing was justifiable in defence of Islam.

In Pakistan and Mali, one third of those who responded supported terrorism to defend Islam. More than 40 per cent in Jordan and Nigeria agreed, as did more than half of those in Ivory Coast and 73 per cent in Lebanon.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called these results "absolutely stunning" and "difficult to absorb".

"Clearly, an awful lot of work needs to be done for us to understand Islam, and for (Moslem) nations to understand what we're about," she said.

In a poll, conducted by the Pew Research Centre for a Paris-based newspaper, more than one out of four respondents in Ghana said that suicide bombing was justifiable in defence of Islam.

The same poll found that people of nearly every Moslem country oppose the U.S.-led war on terrorism, with significant segments even supporting terrorism in defence of Islam, according to the same poll published Thursday in the English-language International Herald Tribune.

Among the Moslem countries surveyed, only two, Mali and Uzbekistan, supported the war on terrorism.

On the other hand, "more than half of Lebanese expressed opposition ..., as did about 8 in 10 Egyptians and Jordanians", the newspaper reported.

In addition, more than one out of four respondents in Senegal and Uganda said that suicide bombing was justifiable in defence of Islam.

In Pakistan and Mali, one third of those who responded supported terrorism to defend Islam. More than 40 per cent in Jordan and Nigeria agreed, as did more than half of those in Ivory Coast and 73 per cent in Lebanon.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called these results "absolutely stunning" and "difficult to absorb".

"Clearly, an awful lot of work needs to be done for us to understand Islam, and for (Moslem) nations to understand what we're about," she said.