“Shift in Arab Views of Iran”?

Director’s Comment: Anyone who is not aware of the realities in the Arab World, would think that Arab public opinion actually matters. It doesn’t. Arab public opinion, especially in Saudi Arabia, is shaped by institutionalized fear, intimidation, and swift reprisal if individuals deviate from what they have been fed by their mosques, schools and governments’ controlled media. In general, the only three things Arabs are relatively safe to express or fight over freely are: Praising their rulers, defending Islam and blaming the US and Israel for their staggering and homegrown political, social and economic ills.

The pollsters who collected the data specified below never asked Saudis or Egyptians how they feel about their ruling autocratic, theocratic dynasties and their oppressive policies. They never asked how Saudis’ and Egyptians’ perceptions of themselves, the West and the wider international community were formed. One can only hope, that decision-makers who read these polls, are both aware of the realities in the Arab world and the agendas of the pollsters themselves. The pollsters operate under the Saudi and Egyptian rules and close supervision. Read article

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/14/opinion/la-oe-telhami-arab-opinions-20100814