Support for extremism wanes in Muslim-dominated countries: Survey

A survey has revealed that 66 percent of Pakistanis are concerned about religious extremism while 59 percent do not sympathize with the Taliban militants.

The survey was conducted by the Pew Research Center which interviewed about 14,200 people in 14 countries. It revealed that support for extremist groups and the fear of extremism has been waning fast in the Muslim-dominated countries of Middle East and South Asia.

The survey also showed that amidst the fledgling war in Syria and the rise in attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria, concerns over extremism have risen over the past 12 months.

According to The Express Tribune, significant number of people in Bangladesh (69 percent), Pakistan (66 percent) and Malaysia (63 percent) are concerned about religious extremism.

A total of 79 percent Nigerians stated that they did not support Boko Haram. The study also revealed that the clout wielded by extremist groups like al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas earlier has also been deteriorating.

The survey was carried out between April 10 and May 25 and ended just days before the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), now called Islamic State, launched a full fledged attack on the Iraqi government in June in order to establish a caliphate in the Gulf and the Levant. The ISIS has seized large territories in Iraq, including Mosul, Tikrit and some oil refineries.