The first article analyzed public attitudes about the role of Sharia as a source of legislation, concluding that although perceptions vary greatly across the three countries, most Iranians and Egyptians (and even many Turks) believe Sharia should be a source of legislation.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup asked respondents who had an opinion about the role of Sharia as a source of legislation (those for whom Sharia should be the only source, one of the sources, or not a source) whether they associate certain attributes with Sharia compliance. Ninety percent of Iranians, 91% of Egyptians, and 74% of Turks expressed an opinion about the role of Sharia in national law. The following analysis focuses on the subgroups of individuals who say Sharia should be a source of legislation to better understand why they think Sharia should influence legislation.
Overall, the poll results show that among those who think Sharia should be at least a source of legislation (either as the only source or as one of the sources), Egyptians are far more likely than Iranians and Turks to make positive associations with Sharia compliance.
Although Sharia often connotes the image of a restrictive society, where residents are forced to comply with rules and obligations they would otherwise eschew, the Gallup Poll findings show that majorities of those who favor Sharia as a source of law associate it with many positive attributes. Ninety-seven percent of Egyptians, 76% of Iranians, and 69% of Turks in this group associate it with justice for women. Strong majorities in Iran (80%), Egypt (96%), and Turkey (63%) also think of Sharia as promoting a fair justice system. Additionally, majorities in Iran (77%) and Turkey (70%) associate Sharia with reducing corruption.
Most Egyptians (64%) polled say Sharia must be the only source of legislation, but few Turks (7%) say the same, which is why it is perhaps not surprising that the greatest differences of opinion are between these two populations. Among Egyptians and Turks who favor Sharia to be at least a source, differences range from 44 percentage points on the item about the promotion of scientific advancement (96% and 52%, respectively) to 26 points on the reduction of crime (94% and 68%, respectively) as well as a limit on the power of rulers (49% and 23%, respectively). But Egyptians and Iranians who favor Sharia's influence on legislation also differ on the associations they make with it. The gap in differences of opinion between Egyptians and Iranians ranges from 37 points on the issue of the promotion of scientific advancement (96% and 59%, respectively) to 3 points on limiting the power of rulers (49% and 46%, respectively).
Even though Gallup could not ask questions about several negative attributes in Iran and Egypt, the poll findings show that those who say Sharia should be at least a source of legislation are less likely to make negative associations with Sharia compliance. But 69% of Egyptians say they associate Sharia with the promotion of cruel criminal punishments.
While 28% of respondents in Iran associate Sharia with giving government unlimited power, they are more likely (46%) to view it as limiting the powers of rulers. In neighboring Turkey, about one in five respondents associate religious law with giving unlimited power to government and curbing the power of rulers. In Egypt, Gallup did not ask respondents the "gives government unlimited power" question, but 49% associate Sharia with limiting the power of rulers.
Additionally, about one-third of respondents in Egypt (35%) and Turkey (32%) who say Sharia should be a source of legislation associate religious law with limiting personal freedom. But Egyptians (4%) are far less likely than Turks are (26%) to associate Sharia with being an obstacle to scientific advancement. Views about Sharia as oppressing women, which across all three countries is among the least likely of the attributes to be associated with it, are shared by less than one-quarter of Turks (22%) and Iranians (16%) and few Egyptians (2%) who say it should be a source of legislation.
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Survey Methods
For the populations who say that Sharia must be a source of legislation (either the only source or one of the sources): Results are based on face-to-faced interviews with 771 adults, aged 15 and older, in Iran in June-July 2007. In Egypt, results are based on face-to-faced interviews with 900 adults, aged 15 and older, in May 2007 and July 2007. In Turkey, results are based on face-to-faced interviews with 326 adults, aged 15 and older, in May 2007 and July 2007. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points in Egypt, ±4 percentage points in Iran, and ±5 percentage points in Turkey. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
For the populations who have an opinion about the role of Sharia in legislation (those who say Sharia must be the only source of legislation, one of the sources or should not be a source): Results are based on face-to-face interviews with 898 adults, aged 15 and older, in Iran in June-July 2007. In Egypt, results are based on face-to-face interviews with 929 adults, aged 15 and older, in July 2007. In Turkey, results are based on face-to-face interviews with 737 adults, aged 15 and older, in May 2007. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
