A large number of Arabs have abandoned religious belief in the past six years, according to a poll demonstrating that the political turmoil and war have had clear social effects. The loss of faith, albeit from a high level before, was particularly marked in the young. Researchers from the Arab Barometer asked the residents of ten countries and the Palestinian…
Most Arab men would accept a woman as their country’s leader
Most Arabs would accept a woman as their nation’s leader but still believe men should have the final say in domestic matters, a major new study suggests. The research was carried out by the research network, Arab Barometer, between late 2018 and the spring of 2019. The places surveyed were Iraq, Tunisia, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, Libya,…
Middle East survey sees patchy progress in views on women’s and LGBT+ rights
LONDON, June 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – More men than women in Iraq say they have been sexually harassed, while only 6% of Lebanese people think being gay is acceptable, according to a major survey of public opinion in the Middle East published on Monday. The wide-ranging study, conducted by researchers at Princeton University, found although support for women’s rights and for…
Survey Shows Faith in Decline in Morocco, in the Arab World
Rabat – While studies suggest Islam is the fastest growing religion on the planet, a recent survey released by the BBC Arabic showed religion has declined throughout the Arab world. Currently 18% identify as “not religious”, compared to 11% in 2013. The report, conducted for the BBC by the research group Arab Barometer, was the largest and most in-depth survey undertaken of the Middle…
More than half of young Arabs want to emigrate
LONDON: More than half the young people in much of the Arab world would like to leave their home countries, a survey conducted by BBC Arabic has found. That number has jumped by more than 10 percent for those aged 18-29 since 2016, according to the Big BBC News Arabic Survey 2018/19, conducted with the Arab Barometer research group….
Lebanon’s atheists rejecting their religion
In Lebanon, the sectarian identity you inherit from your father is written on the civil registry. From birth people are defined by their religion and atheism or ‘no religion’ are not included in 18 options available. A survey for BBC News Arabic by Arab Barometer suggests that people across the region are growing less religious….
Trust in Islamist Parties Plummets Since Arab Spring
LONDON: Trust in Islamist movements across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has declined dramatically since the Arab Spring uprisings, an extensive survey for BBC Arabic has found. The study was based on data from the Arab Barometer research center based at Princeton University.
Poverty, inequality and the structural threat to the Arab region
…… Jordanians who see no justice in their lives increased from 40 to 46 percent in just the four months between June and September 2018, two-thirds of citizens feel the country is moving in the wrong direction, 72 percent of households said they could not meet their basic expenses (compared to 42 percent in mid-2011), and two-thirds of households reported…