Washington, May 19(ANI): US President Barack Obama's much-heralded outreach to the Muslim world has failed, with only 11 per cent Pakistanis and 20 per cent Egyptians viewing the United States and Obama favourably, according to a new survey.
The latest polling from the Pew Research Center's Global Attitude Project shows that in Egypt, the US has a 20 per cent favorability rating, seven points below where it was in 2009, The Washington Post reports.
In Pakistan, US approval is 11 per cent, a five-point drop since the Cairo speech, while in Jordan and Turkey, two important regional allies, American approval is 13 per cent (down 12 points) and 11 per cent (down four points) respectively.
These surveys were conducted before the flap over charges of violating Pakistan's sovereignty in taking down Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
In no country surveyed did a majority approve of Obama's calls for political change, yet support for democracy is high in the region, the paper's editorial said.
The Pew survey demonstrates that this is a pivotal time for opponents of Islamic fundamentalism in the region, the editorial said, noting that thirty-one per cent of Egyptian Muslims sympathize more with the fundamentalist position while 30 per cent support those who disagree with fundamentalism.
This equal division presents the White House with a leadership opportunity to reach out to those nascent, struggling political factions whose political agenda more reflects American values, it said.
Despite the "we are not at war with Islam" mantra, the case cannot be made that promoting Islamist political movements in any way conforms to American notions of good governance, it added.
According to the editorial, instead of pandering, Obama should actively champion American notions of freedom. (ANI)
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