WASHINGTON, Aug 23: A recent opinion poll conducted in six Muslim countries, including Pakistan, shows that ‘support for terrorism in defence of Islam has dramatically declined’ there.

The survey, conducted by Washington-based Pew Research Centre, shows that in Pakistan support for terrorism has reduced from 41 per cent in 2004 to 25 per cent in 2005.

According to it, 52 per cent Pakistanis see terrorism as a major threat to their country whereas 27 per cent do not see terrorism as threatening Pakistan.

Jordan is the only country where support for terrorism remains strong. As many as 87 per cent Jordanians do not see terrorism as a threat to their country whereas only 10 per cent say it is a threat. The surveyors point out that Jordan is different from other nations because it has a sizeable Palestinian population which is directly affected by the Arab-Israeli conflict.

In Turkey, support for terrorism has remained at a low 14 per cent. In Indonesia it has fallen from 27 to 15 per cent since 2002. In Morocco it came down to 13 per cent from 40 per cent in 2004, and among Muslims in Lebanon from 73 per cent to 26 per cent since 2002.

Support for suicide bombings against Americans in Iraq has also declined.

In Turkey, with its sharp political divisions, and Pakistan, with its chequered history, the percentages hover around 50 per cent.

The last survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, conducted among more than 17,000 people in 17 countries this spring, finds that while many Muslims believe that radical Islam poses a threat, there are differing opinions as to its causes.

Sizable minorities in most predominantly Muslim countries point to poverty, joblessness and a lack of education, but pluralities in Jordan and Lebanon cite US policies as the most important cause of Islamic extremism.

The polling also finds that in most majority-Muslim countries surveyed, support for suicide bombings and other acts of violence ‘in defence of Islam’ has declined significantly.

However, when it comes to suicide bombings in Iraq, Muslims in the surveyed countries are divided. Nearly half of Muslims in Lebanon and Jordan, and 56 per cent in Morocco say suicide bombings against Americans and other Westerners in Iraq are justifiable.

However, substantial majorities in Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia take the opposite view.