Conspiracy Theories in the Middle East and the Midwest

One article in the New York Times and a related blogpost (admittedly by the same author) note how both Al Ahram in Egypt and Fox News in the USA appear to share the idea that the Obama presidency conspired with the Muslim Brotherhood, a plan "which involved helping 300 armed fighters enter the country from Gaza." (“Conspiring Against the Truth,” The Arabist, Ursula Lindsey, August 29, 2013) Likewise, another blogpost, notes four related misconceptions widely shared in Egypt:

1. There is a strong held belief in Egypt that the US is against the June 30^th alliance and government, and is waging war against it for the sake of MB....
2. There really isn’t a global conspiracy against us....That being said, Turkey and Qatar are truly against us..., so you are not being completely paranoid here.... 
3. The perception that international opinion provides excessive support for the MB, which develops at times to the belief that the international media is in the MB’s pockets....
4. [The idea that this is a war on terror.] What is your counter idea to Islamism/MB ideology? Whoever does not agree with you is a traitor and should be killed? ("4 common Misconceptions Egyptians have," August 18, 2013, The Sandmonkey)

From the latter post, the key point for me is: "in order for the international media to showcase your side of the story, you actually have to have a side of the story." That is, the MB = terrorists doesn't hold water. They might have allied with those that did harbor terrorists or even were so. And they might be violent now. But the numbers dead before 30 June pale before those afterwards.

But if the explanatory power of the story coming out of Cairo is weak, that coming from The Washington Post is equally so.  Note only is this chart missing a number of obvious links, it suggests that any time one is not sending tanks or bullets, one doesn't have a clue.

(Max Fisher, “The Middle East, Explained in One (sort of Terrifying) Chart,” Washington Post, August 26, 2013). Of course, if we are discussing "no clue" in terms of the American public and not the American government, we are on somewhat safer ground: half of ["the American public"] could not find Syria on a map, as surveyed by the Pew Research Centre." ("These 'Syria for idiots' pieces are getting a bit much: Where will it end?," Oliver Williams, New Statesman, 04 September 2013)

Mapping the Middle East

While the surveys included in the set “40 Maps That Explain the World” (Max Fisher, August 12 2013, Washington Post) have not been delivered to many of the countries in the Middle East, the comparative information is useful for future research design. For example, has Egypt's belief in democracy over a strong leader changed in the last month?

More local mapping can be found of the protests and backlash in Egypt in August ("Mapping Egypt’s Week of Chaos," Joshua Keating, Slate, Aug. 20, 2013) Using some of the same technology as "Mapped: Every Protest on the Planet Since 1979," J. DANA STUSTER, Foreign Policy, AUGUST 22, 2013, the dark circles of Cairo are noteworthy, but it is probably those outliers where these will continue longest.