Support for Osama bin Laden and suicide bombings have fallen sharply in much of the Muslim world, according to a multicountry poll released on Thursday.

The survey by the Pew Research Centre examined public opinion in six predominantly Muslim nations: Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Jordan and Lebanon. It also examined views in nine North American and European countries as well as in India. In all, more than 17,000 people were questioned either by telephone of face-to-face.

"There's declining support for terrorism in the Muslim countries and support for Osama bin Laden is declining. There's also less support for suicide bombings," said Pew Centre Director Andrew Kohut.

"This is good news, but still there are substantial numbers who support bin Laden in some of these countries," he told a news conference.

In Morocco, 26 per cent of the public now say they have a lot or some confidence in bin Laden, down from 49 per cent in a similar poll two years ago.

In Lebanon, where both Muslims and Christians took part in the survey, only 2 per cent expressed some confidence in the Saudi-born al-Qaida leader, down from 14 per cent in 2003.

In Turkey, bin Laden's support has fallen to 7 per cent from 15 per cent in the past two years. In Indonesia, it has dropped to 35 per cent from 58 per cent.

However, in Jordan, confidence in bin Laden rose to 60 per cent from 55 per cent. In Pakistan, it went to 51 per cent from 45 per cent.

A similar picture emerged when respondents were asked whether suicide bombings were justifiable. In Morocco, 13 per cent said they often or sometimes could be justified, down from 40 per cent in 2004.

In Indonesia, 15 per cent expressed that view, down from 27 per cent in the summer of 2002. Support for suicide bombings also fell in Pakistan and dropped dramatically in Lebanon.

Kohut noted there had been devastating attacks on civilians in Indonesia, Morocco and Turkey in recent years and a rash of assassinations and bombings recently in Lebanon.

Both in western countries and the Muslim world, respondents expressed fears about Islamic extremism.

Despite terrorism fears, majorities in Britain, the United States, France, Canada and Russia and pluralities in Spain and Poland expressed favourable views about Muslims.

Source: China Daily