U.S. could boost its image in Muslim world through aid: Report

U.S. could boost its image in Muslim world through aid: Report

Karen Matthews, Associated Press/New York

The United States could improve its image among Muslims by
adopting a more respectful tone and publicizing the aid programs
it is has implemented to help Muslims and Arabs worldwide, said a
report released on Wednesday.

The report, issued by the New York-based Council on Foreign
Relations, said that emphasizing U.S. development aid to Muslim
nations, such as tsunami relief in Indonesia, rather than
focusing on persuading Muslims to support U.S. policies in Iraq,
could be more successful in combating the rising anti-American
sentiment in the Muslim world that now also extends to U.S.
consumer brands.

The report, by Craig Charney and Nicole Yakatan, of Charney
Research, is based on 14 focus groups conducted last December and
January among college educated men and women in Egypt, Morocco
and Indonesia. The educated elite were chosen because their
support is vital for U.S.-backed reforms, the authors said.

"There are important openings for America to communicate more
effectively and regain ground in the Islamic world, the focus
groups show, despite the extent of hostility at the moment," said
the report. "These opportunities can be realized by focusing on
bilateral relationships and respectful partnerships, Muslim
initiative, and agreeing to disagree on contentious security
issues involving other countries such as Iraq or Palestine."

Anger at U.S. foreign policy and at the U.S. government
dominated spontaneous reactions in all three countries, with one
Indonesian man describing the United States as "Interferers,
especially in developing countries."

Views of President George W. Bush were uniformly negative,
with criticisms ranging from "selfish" and "rude" to "an enemy of
Arabs and Muslims." All focus group members rejected U.S. views
of the war in Iraq, saying the United States invaded on a false
premise to further its own regional goals.

Misconceptions about the influence of Jews in American
politics also contributed to anti-Americanism. Focus group
members saw the United States and Israel as synonymous and
estimated the proportion of Jews in the U.S. population at up to
85 percent, when it is actually 2 percent.

The report found that negative opinions of the United States
are taking a toll on U.S. companies and that the amounts of U.S.
aid were massively underestimated. It found that none of the
focus group participants knew that the United States is the
world's largest donor by dollar amount.

"Most Egyptians and Indonesians put U.S. support for their
countries over 10 years in millions; the correct figures were
$7.3 billion and $1 billion, respectively," the authors said.

When asked what they wanted from the United States, focus
group members said respect and aid to develop as their countries
choose.

The authors said that to be heard by Muslims the United States
must agree to disagree on contentious issues such as Iraq.

"Despite the intensity of their anger, many Muslims appear
open to new information and a different attitude from the United
States. An effort to communicate and the right content for the
dialog can help to change their perceptions, even if it cannot
vanquish anti-Americanism altogether," they said.

The Council on Foreign Relations, founded in 1921, is a
nonpartisan center for scholars dedicated to helping members and
policy-makers better understand the world and governmental policy
choices, according to its Web site.

Charney Research is a private consulting firm that offers
opinion polling and market research. It is based in New York.