In a recent survey conducted by Roy Morgan following the Bondi incident, 36 percent of participants pointed fingers at terrorists and extremists as the primary culprits.

Survey participants cited the rigid religious and political ideologies of these groups, their unwavering dedication to their missions, and the inherent nature of terrorism, which involves acts of violence.

Interestingly, only 32 percent of those surveyed were reluctant to attribute blame directly to terrorists or extremists.

Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, highlighted a significant insight from the study, noting that beyond the obvious suspects, a notable number of Australians also hold Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the government, and other political figures accountable for terrorism.

“Since 1941, Roy Morgan has been gauging public sentiment on various societal issues. Throughout the decades, some questions have been particularly difficult to pose and answer,” Levine observed.

Levine said the new answers showed Australian attitudes toward terrorism were changing, with lower levels of blame for individual groups than in previous surveys.

“Without prompting, Australians are more likely to blame extremists than any individual group – nationality, cultural or religious group,” she said.

She said many respondents had said terrorism was the result of a “complex mix” of factors, and that they were concerned about “hate, racism, and divisiveness”.