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SURVEY: Iranian and American public opinions converge on major issues
worldpublicopinion.org — Despite mutual suspicions, 1/2 of Iranians and most Americans favor direct US-Iran engagement. 55% of Americans support allowing Iran limited uranium enrichment, provided the UN is given full access to prevent diversion to a weapons program. 80% in Iran and 46% in the US reject “bombing and other types of attacks intentionally aimed at civilians.”
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- newspigeon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Extended Summary:
Iranians and Americans support international non-proliferation rules as well as a stronger United Nations and reject Osama bin Laden. Majorities or pluralities favor a variety of steps to improve US-Iranian relations and neither side believes conflict between Islam and the West is inevitable.
An overwhelming 84% of Iranians say it is very important for Iran to have the capacity to enrich uranium. However, two-thirds of Iranians (66%) endorse Iran’s participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty even when reminded that it prohibits Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Only 15% want Iran to withdraw from the treaty.
US respondents were asked if they would support an agreement allowing Iran to enrich uranium to the very low levels necessary to produce nuclear power but not the high levels required to produce nuclear weapons. In return, Iran would be obligated to afford UN inspectors full access to ensure that these enrichment levels were not exceeded. 55% believe such a deal would be a good idea, including 53% of Republicans and 62% of Democrats. 38% say this would be a bad idea.
Asked more broadly about relations between Islamic countries and the West, both publics reject the idea that conflict is inevitable. Iranians and Americans were asked to choose between two statements:
“Islamic and Western religious and social traditions are incompatible with each other”
and
“Most people in the West and the Islamic world have similar needs and wants, so it is possible to find common ground.”
Only one in four Iranians (24%) and more than one in three Americans (36%) believe that the cultures are incompatible. Majorities of Iranians (54%) and Americans (56%) instead agree that there is common ground.
Iranians and Americans express concern about international terrorism. Seven in ten Iranians view international terrorism as an important threat to their country’s vital interests, including 56 percent who see it as a critical threat. Only 12% call it “not important.”
More than nine in ten Americans see international terrorism as an important threat, including 68% who see it as critical.
Full PDF report of the concurrent survey is available at the following URL:
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/jan07/Iran_Jan07_rpt.pdf - afruff23, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Nice find. As an Iranian-American, I applaud the views of my people in Iran. I especially was surprised at 80% in Iran and 46% in the US reject “bombing and other types of attacks intentionally aimed at civilians.” Seems like the US is more backwards in this regard.
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