Conrad Winn

Tracking the War of Ideas: A Poll of Ottawa Muslims

A 2008 poll of 430 Ottawa Muslims found predominantly negative views of the U.S. war on terrorism, including the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. This poll also assessed approval of Western powers (U.S., Canada, Israel, United Nations) and challengers of Western power (Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hizballah, government of Iran). Surprisingly, attitudes of Ottawa Muslims toward militant Muslim groups were unrelated to their attitudes toward Western governments. Discussion suggests that this pattern, if confirmed in other Muslim polls, would mean that the war of ideas against radical Islam must address not one target but two: favorable opinions of militants and unfavorable opinions of the U.S. Muslims who come to like the West more may not like Muslim militants any less.

The Misperception of Public Opinion: The Canadian Nazi Trials and Their Implications

It may seem strange to some Americans that residents of other countries can be prosecuted for disseminating hate-generating opinions, but many liberal democracies have laws which constrain the publication or uttering of falsehoods apt to cause pain or harm to a group. Throughout 1985, the Canadian media paid a great deal of attention to the trials and apparent impact on society of two major hate-mongers.