Nearly 9 in 10 Pakistanis say suicide bombings unjustified: PEW poll

A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center has found that 89 percent or nearly nine in ten Pakistanis believe that suicide bombings targeting civilians are 'never justified'.

While another two percent stated suicide bombings sometimes can be justified, and one percent stated they are often justified.

Meanwhile, 67 percent Muslims in Pakistan said they were somewhat or very concerned about Islamic extremism, the Muslim public in Indonesia was evenly split on the issue and Turkey being the only country surveyed where 51 percent said they were not worried about Islamic extremism.

People living in countries, like Pakistan, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey and Indonesia, thought that Muslim worries about extremism have increased in the past year, the Express Tribune reports.

Muslims in Indonesia (81 percent), Nigeria (78 percent) and Tunisia (77 percent) said suicide bombings or other acts of violence that target civilians were never justified.

Majority of Palestinian Muslims (62 percent) think suicide bombing is often or sometimes justified, the report added.

However, the overall support for violence in the name of Islam has declined among Muslim publics during the past decade.

In Malaysia, roughly a quarter of Muslims (27 percent) take the view that attacks on civilians are sometimes or often justified.

Majorities of Muslims in Lebanon (92 percent), Jordan (82 percent), Egypt (70 percent), Turkey (70 percent), and Pakistan (65 percent) have a negative opinion towards the Taliban group.

While, about half of Muslims in Nigeria (51 percent), Tunisia (50 percent), and the Palestinian territories (50 percent) share the same view.