Since the 2011 revolutions, International public opinion polls have been providing unprecedented information about citizens’ mindsets in many countries of the Arab World. Still, pollsters should beware of the cross-cultural pitfalls that can arise despite the politically-unfettered climates.

The United States, in many senses, is supposedly known as one of the most tolerant countries in the world. Diversity is the foundation of this country, and it is worn as a badge of honor by many of us.  While other countries, such as those in Europe, stifle the voices of their ethnic and religious minorities, the US prides itself on its colorful landscape. 

Shortly after the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, Richard Falk, professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian territories, published an analysis of the episode entitled “A Commentary on the Marathon Murders.”

Contrary to what is alleged by bigots like Bill Maher, Muslims are not more violent than people of other religions. Murder rates in most of the Muslim world are very low compared, to the United States.

Reactions to the bombs at the Boston Marathon have quickly fallen into a familiar pattern. It is as if there were a manual that politicians, journalists and others involved in the reacting pull off the shelf after any terrorist attack to help them script their comments and their questions.

The Boston Marathon bombing once again has Americans asking, "Is this terrorism?" And morebroadly, "What is terrorism?"