opinions on president obama in the uae, june 2009 · 2020. 2. 20. · president obama in the uae...

© 2008, Zogby International

President Obama in the UAE

Opinions on President Obama in the UAE

June 2009



Methodology• Results for this survey are based on face-to-face interviews conducted

under the direction of Zogby International.

• The sample size of 605 interviews included only Arabs in the UAE - 417 Natural Citizens and 188 Arab expatriates

• The survey was conducted between June 12 and June 18, 2009

• Margin of error: +/- 4.1 percentage points

• A previous survey using the same methodology and a sample size of 500 (359 Natural Citizens and 151 Arab expatriates) was carried out between

April 21 and May 11, 2009



Sample CharacteristicsSample CharacteristicsFrequency Valid Percent

Sample 605 100%

<35 years old 389 64%

35+ years old 216 36%

No College Degree 463 77%

College Degree + 142 24%

Less than 6,000 AED 87 14%

6,000-15,000 AED 254 42%

15,000 AED + 264 44%

Male 417 69%

Female 188 31%



Overall opinionOverall opinion(Question 1) Generally speaking, is your opinion of Barack Obama very

favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or are you not familiar enough to make a judgment?



Actions toward the Arab WorldActions toward the Arab World(Question 2) How would you rate President Obama’s actions toward

the Arab World during his first 3 months in office?



Attitude towards United StatesAttitude towards United States(Question 3) Has your attitude toward the United States changed as a

result of Barack Obama being elected President?



Awareness of ObamaAwareness of Obama’’s Egypt speechs Egypt speech(Question 4) Which of the following best describes your awareness of

Barack Obama’s recent speech in Cairo, Egypt? Select all that apply.



Opinion of ObamaOpinion of Obama’’s Egypt speechs Egypt speech(Question 5) What was your opinion of Barack Obama’s speech – very positive,

somewhat positive, somewhat negative or very negative? (question asked only of those with knowledge of the speech)



News Coverage of ObamaNews Coverage of Obama’’s Egypt speechs Egypt speech(Question 6) How would you describe the news coverage of Barack Obama’s

speech – very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, or very negative?



ObamaObama’’s Egypt speech and opinion of U.S. s Egypt speech and opinion of U.S. (Question 7) Has your attitude toward the United States changed as a result of

Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo?



Agree or disagree with policies in speechAgree or disagree with policies in speech(Question 8) Now I will read several quotes from Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo.

Please tell me whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with the polices outlined in the quotes.

“I.. seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam

are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”





“Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded

upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words – within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by

every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth .”





“Today, America has a dual responsibility [in Iraq]: to help Iraq forge a better future – and to leave Iraq to Iraqis. And I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no bases, and no claim on their territory or resources, Iraq’s sovereignty is its own. And that’s why I ordered the removal of our combat brigades by next August. That is why we will honor our agreement with

Iraq’s democratically elected government to remove combat troops from Iraqi cities by July, and to remove all of our troops from Iraq by 2012.”





“I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.”





“For decades [in the Arab-Israeli conflict], there has been a stalemate” two peoples with legitimate aspirations, each with a painful history that makes compromise elusive. It’s easy to

point fingers – for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought about by Israel’s founding, and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility and attacks throughout its history from within its borders as well as beyond. But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, than we

will be blind to the truth: the only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.”





“The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people. Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have to

recognize they have responsibilities. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements,

recognize Israel’s right to exist.”





“Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel’s right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine’s. The united States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements, This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is

time for these settlements to stop.”





“I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not. No single nation should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons. And that’s why I

strongly reaffirmed America’s commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons. And any nation – including Iran – should have the right to access peaceful nuclear

power if it complies with its responsibilities under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.”





“Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance. We see it in the history of Andalusia and Cordoba during the Inquisition. I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia, where devout Christians worshipped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country. That is the spirit we need today.

People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul. This tolerance is essential for religion to thrice, but it’s

being challenged in many different ways.”



Future of U.S. Future of U.S. ––Arab relationsArab relations(Question 17) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: the

Obama administration will bring positive change to U.S. – Arab relations?

opinions on president obama in the uae, june 2009 · 2020. 2. 20. · president obama in the uae...

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