Middle East & North Africa

Americans have consistently opposed U.S. involvement in the Syrian conflict, but have offered a somewhat different response when asked how they would respond if there is proof that President Bashar Assad’s forces attacked civilians with chemical weapons.

Saudi Arabia has promised financial aid to the military government. Before the current turmoil, , the Egyptian public had an overwhelming positive view of Saudi Arabia.

The recent spate of violent military crackdowns on civilians in Egypt has apparently caused the Obama administration to begin reevaluating aid to Cairo. But when it comes to Egyptian public opinion, cutting U.S. assistance may not provide Washington with as much leverage as many think.

Overview With violence continuing to rage in Egypt, 51% of Americans say it is better for the United States to cut off military aid to Egypt to put pressure on the government. This is nearly double the percentage (26%) saying it is better to continue military aid to the government in order to maintain influence […]

Many critics have questioned whether Secretary of State John Kerry’s focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is worth the effort, given the region’s rich history of diplomatic disappointment, but Kerry has managed to bring the two sides together this week in Washington for their first talks in several years.  Polling finds limited optimism about the prospects […]

Survey Report Mali holds a presidential election July 28, its first election since the French military led a January 2013 intervention to oust Islamic rebels from the north of the country. As Malians go to the polls, Africans, on balance, approve of the French military incursion in its former colony and France enjoys a largely […]

Overview Public interest in news from Egypt has plummeted since the early weeks of the Arab Spring in February 2011. And the share of Americans saying what happens in Egypt is “very important” to U.S. interests has fallen by 10 points – from 46% to 36% – since then. The survey by the Pew Research […]

A survey of more than 38,000 Muslims in 39 countries and territories found that a median of 93% say they fast during Ramadan.

Political unrest continued in Egypt after a chaotic political week in which two of the key players – both unpopular with the Egyptian public – illustrated the difficulty in finding a leader who can overcome the country’s divisions.