---
title: "Pakistanis Say Suicide Bombings Justified"
description: "A few months before the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, only 9% of Pakistanis said that  suicide attacks and other forms of violence against civilians are often or sometimes justified, a sharp decline from the 41% who expressed this view in 2004.\\n<!--Only 9% of Pakistanis now say suicide attacks and other forms of violence against civilians are often or sometimes justified, a sharp decline from the 41% who expressed this view in 2004.-->"
date: "2007-12-27"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2007/12/27/pakistanis-say-suicide-bombings-justified/"
---

# Pakistanis Say Suicide Bombings Justified

A few months prior to the assassination offormer prime minister Benazir Bhutto, public opinion in Pakistan had grown considerably less supportive of terrorism; in the latest Pew Global Attitudes survey, only 9% of Pakistanis said that suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians were “often” or “sometimes justified” in order to defend Islam from its enemies, whereas in 2004, 41% expressed that view. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/561/pakistan-terrorism)