Support for suicide bombings and attacks on civilians fell, in five Muslim countries, according to a 47-nation survey released on Tuesday.

The 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project poll, found that backing for such actions dropped by more than 50 per cent in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Lebanon and Pakistan since 2002, nearly half in Jordan and somewhat less in Tansania and Nigeria. In Turkey, a close ally of the West, approval rose from 13-16 per cent, within the margin of error.
The sharpest decline took place in Lebanon where 34 per cent of Muslims held that suicide bombings in defense of Islam can be justified. The figure was 74 per cent five years ago.

In Bangladesh, it dropped from 44 per cent in 2002 to 20 per cent on Wednesday; in Pakistan from 33 to 9 per cent and Jordan declined from 43 to 23 per cent.

In countries that surveyed for the first time, the results were striking. While  39 per cent approved in Mali,  and 26 per cent in Malaysia, the figures in Kuwait and Senegal were 21 and 18 pc respectively.

However, 70 pc of Palestinians said  that this tactic is justified. It is interesting to note in this respect that just 5 per cent of Palestinian respondents expressed satisfaction with their conditions of life.

Muslims also expressed less confidence in Osama bin Laden than they did five years ago.

Respondents in 17 of the 47 countries cited the US as the biggest global threat. Among the others, 9 rated Iran, 4 said al-Qaeda, 4 voted for Israel and 2 saw Russia as a global threat.