Iraqi Yazidis: Hazy population numbers and a history of persecution
The Yazidis who have been fleeing the advance of the Sunni militant group ISIS in Iraq are a religious group of uncertain numbers and a long history of persecution.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Most Think the U.S. Has No Responsibility To Act in Iraq
Survey Report As violence and chaos spreads in Iraq, the public is wary of U.S. involvement in the country. A 55% majority says the United States does not have a responsibility to do something about the violence in Iraq; 39% do see a responsibility to act. Overall public awareness of the situation in Iraq is […]
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Global Opposition to U.S. Surveillance and Drones, but Limited Harm to America’s Image
Revelations about the scope of American electronic surveillance efforts have generated headlines around the world. A new Pew Research Center survey finds widespread decline in the view that the U.S. respects the personal freedoms of its people. But in most countries there is little evidence this opposition has severely harmed America’s overall image.
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Where the U.S. wiretap hotspots are
While the U.S. continues to address the international fallout from the National Security Agency revelations, a new report from the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts reveals a different kind of wiretapping: a list of where federal and state judges have authorized law enforcement to listen to phone communications as part of criminal investigations throughout 2013.
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Mounting Pessimism about Two-State Israeli-Palestinian Solution
In the wake of yet another breakdown in the Middle East peace process, publics in the region have little faith that a way can be found for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully with each other. Majorities or pluralities in countries across the region voice the view that peaceful coexistence is not […]
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Iraq’s Unique Place in the Sunni-Shia Divide
An ongoing and intensifying conflict has fallen along sectarian lines in Iraq, one of only a handful of countries that has more Shia Muslims than Sunnis. A Fact Tank post analyzes the divide between the two sects.
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For World Refugee Day, 5 long-term refugee trends
Despite the ongoing conflicts in these countries, the number of refugees around the world is considerably less than it was two decades ago, numbering between 10 million and 12 million in recent years.
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In countries near Syria, widespread fear about the spread of violence, extremists
Middle East worries about spreading violence and a possible triumph by extremists in Syria have been evident in Pew Research surveys the past two years.
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Syria’s Neighbors Want Assad to Step Down, But No Appetite for Aid to Rebels
After three years of civil war, Syria’s neighbors fear that al Qaeda or other extremist groups could take control of that war-torn land, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. Regional publics widely disapprove of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and they want him to step down. Nevertheless, there is mounting opposition in […]
