35% of Canadian Muslims Do Not Repudiate Al-Queda

[East of Eden]

http://www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/much-goo ... in-canada/

"Almost two-thirds (65%) “repudiate absolutely� this Islamist terrorist organisation. On the other hand, a significant minority of respondents do not. As Winn and Leuprecht note, “From a security perspective, it is difficult to know if a 65% rate of repudiation [of Al Qaeda] is re-assuring or a 35% failure to repudiate troubling.�

Also troubling is the news that only a small minority of Muslim newcomers surveyed unequivocally reject Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Iranian regime. Support for the Muslim Brotherhood was stronger than expected, and not limited to Muslims who emigrated from the Middle East. In findings that will reverberate in both immigration and security policy, support for extremism was found to be just as high among Muslims born in Canada or other industrialized countries as among those coming from oppressive dictatorships, and “the most radical political views tended to be expressed by relatively secular people, often equipped with higher education in the social sciences"


Question for debate: Whatever your beliefs, how is this not really bad news?

[chris_brown207]

What does that have to do with the results they found? They have the guts to publicize the results, where the politically correct media would ignore it, as you try to do. Media Matters is very biased, yet I see those on the left here constantly cite them. Why the hypocrisy?

Since it seems further explanation is needed, allow me to try to break it down again in more detail. There is a reason that studies with overt biases, or conflicts of interest are not published (or at least published with *asterisks* and annotations) - it is very difficult for someone who has a financial interest in the outcome of a study to make a critical and accurate conclusion about the data without (even inadvertently) adding their own slant into the equation.

Oh, and when and if the day ever comes that I quote Media Matters, then you can call me on this... until that day comes, I am afraid this excuse doesn't fly.

Nice ad hominen. Are all the other worldwide polls showing relatively high levels of support for extremists among Muslims also flawed?

Again, when you have some actual evidence supporting your flawed poll theory, get back to me.

Why don't we address the polls one at a time, as it is kind of hard for me to comment on "all the other worldwide polls" as that is very general and vague - similar to my feelings about the poll that was the basis of this thread.

You didn't accept my explanation for how the poll seems to be flawed. That is okay, and totally your right. Just as it is my right to take the polls results with a grain of salt because of the overt conflict of interest evident from the source of the study and the lack of data for me to make my own conclusions about.

It sounds like you are pretty set in your beliefs and that is fine too. I on the other hand will reserve further judgement until I see solid reason to change my stance.

P.s. Ad hominen argument - An ad hominem (Latin for "to the man" or "to the person"), short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it.[1] Ad hominem reasoning is normally described as a logical fallacy.

My point is not ad hominen - it has nothing to do with the character of those behind the study. I have no personal feelings about them, as this is basically the first dealings I have had with the institute. The point was about a conflict of interest evident in those conducting this study - there is no negative connotation. The conflict of interest is a statement of fact, not a statement on the quality of character. No matter how strong the character, studies have shown time and time again of the increased likelihood of flaws to be introduced (even inadvertently) in results and even in data due to the presence of a conflict of interest.

If the study has been published in a respected and peer reviewed publication, then I would be more then happy to examine that article.