Muslim Support for Terrorism declining

As police investigate the deadly bombings in Egypt and London, public support for terrorism in Muslim nations appears to be dropping. An increasing number of Muslims feel that the methods utilized by terrorists in the name of Islam are disgraceful to their beliefs. MSNBC TV's Lester Holt was joined by Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, Walid Phares to discuss this issue.

Walid explains that though the numbers are shifting, it does not necessarily mean that America’s presence is welcomed:  “The issue here is while there was a large group of people who were apposed to American intervention and supported the terrorists, many are now against the terrorists, but still not in support of the American presence.”

Ideology also plays a large role. Those that may be against the terrorist attacks still share religious and political beliefs with those that are killing others.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

This similarity of ideology also makes it hard for any one person to stand up and stop the chaos. “There are 3 groups to summarize quickly. A: are a pro Jihadists, hardcore, ideological group. B: are those that are critical of the policy in the region, but significantly shying away from criticizing the terrorists. C: are those that are with the US rule, and adamantly opposed to the terrorists. The numbers are varied here, they are stable with A, growing with B and slowly growing with C.” Walid said.

However, though the numbers of Muslims that support the American occupation of Iraq aren’t growing significantly, it’s the violence witnessed on their own soil that has seen Muslims turning against terrorism. “The terrorists are helping immensely, the sight of children killed in Iraq and elsewhere, has done a lot of change the minds of terrorist supporters.” Walid said.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

“It’s more important that the war on terror becomes a war of ideas.” Walid explains. “Recently the President in Washington, the Prime Minister in London, and even the President of Russia have been targeting an ideology, and saying that the war is against a particular ideology will help find more allies in the region.”

To watch the entire interview between Lester Holt and Walid Phares, click on the "Launch" button on the video player on the right side of the page.

can be seen weekdays from 9:00 a.m. ET - 5:00 p.m. ET