6human beings interpret it. At Intelligence Squared,
being under the unnatural constraints of a debate
motion, I asserted that Islam is a religion of peace
simply because the vast majorit y of Muslims today
do not subscribe to its being a religion of war. If it
holds that Islam is only what its adherents interpret
it to be, then it is currently a religion of peace.^1
Part of our challenge is to galvanize and or ga nize
this silent majority against jihadism so that it can
start challenging the narrative of vio lence that
- If Islam is largely (or entirely) what Muslims make of
it, the state of Muslim public opinion is im por tant to
take into account. A 2013 PEW poll conducted in eleven
Muslim- majority countries showed that support for suicide
bombing against civilians in defense of Islam has declined
in recent years. Nevertheless, the numbers of people who
still think that this form of vio lence against noncomba-
tants is “often” or “sometimes” justifi ed are sobering: Egypt
(25 percent), Indonesia (6 percent), Jordan (12 percent),
Lebanon (33 percent), Malaysia (27 percent), Nigeria
(8 percent), Pakistan (3 percent), the Palestinian territories
(62 percent), Senegal (18 percent), Tunisia (12 percent), and
Turkey (16 percent). There are 1.6 billion Muslims world-
wide. If even 10 percent support suicide bombing against
civilians in defense of the faith, that’s 160 million supporters
of terrorism. (www. pewglobal. org)
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