Islam Will Conquer All Other Religions And American Power Will Diminish : Read How Allah (God's) Prediction Will Soon Come To Pass
by Mohamed Azad, Bibi Amina
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Paperback (March, 2001)
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Reviews (27)

A decent book with an indecent title!
Even though the book is a wealth of knowledge, specially for non-muslims, it would've been better without this misleading title. If you think this book's gonna talk about terrorism or 9/11 or stuff, you're wrong and cant be blamed for that. The book is extremely informative but i deducted 1 star for that catchy stupid title (not that its a lie though) and 1 star for not providing me any info i didn't know.
There're are four chapters in this 125 paged book. The first three chapters are pretty much intro to Islam/Quran/Mohammed (pbuh) with a deeper look as you read briefly about Islam's beliefs, history, culture, philosophy, society, scholars and sects etc. Non muslims would like this info if they seek Islam's knowldege but as i'm a muslim, i skipped them as we study these topics since our childhood. Chapter 4, the only one having something to do with the title of the book, starts on page 103(outa 125 pages) and is amazingly interested to both Muslims and Non muslims. You first learn about this intricate mathematical code in Quran from God that keeps it from corruption from man. After assuming you're satisfied that Quran's word of God (you will, once you see this code open mindedly) it goes to tell that whole the content of Quran is word of God and hence true. Then in the last four pages of the book, authors quote verses from Quran about downfall of nations etc. Well, once you believe Quran is word of God, downfall of nations wont be the first thing you'll wanna know.
The bottom line is Non muslims should buy this book and disregard the title while Muslims should rather buy Ahmed Deedat's 'Quran: The ultimate Miracle' which only explains this code. About 9/11 i'd recommend David Icke's "Alice in the wonderland and the WTC disaster" and you wont ask of any other book on the topic. After getting done with this book on the first day, all i can do is tape up the last half of the title of the book (And American...) and forward to friends.

Intelligence
This is a very thought-provoking book for any follower of ISLAM to read and also, the title is very straight foward of the book`s contents.

Title Fraud?
The answer to the three questions raised by the title of the book are 1) Islam is the only true religion, therefore Islamwill conquer all other religions 2) American power will diminish since all civilizations rise and fall (Rome, Greece, Persia, etc) 3) Allah's predictions will soon come to pass since we live in the "Last Days".

There are in the book interesting sections on Islamic religious and philosophical schools through the centuries, and the various sects of Islam; also a short section on Muhammad (not a man to cross!).

However, if you are looking to buy this book based on the title, forget it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0970330324
Sales Rank: 499630
Subjects:  1. Religion    2. Religion / Islam    3. Islam    4. Islam and world politics    5. Islamic theology    6. Koran    7. Prophecy    8. Religious Literature   

Militant Islam Reaches America
by Daniel Pipes
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Hardcover (12 August, 2002)
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Reviews (24)

Good Book -- An Important Part of the Whole Story
Daniel Pipes has become a sort of expert on the threat Islamism poses to non-believers and the text here is pretty important for all westerners to read.But it is especially VERY important for every person to be aware of the points that Daniel Pipes makes here.Every liberal country's elected representatives (and that includes the USA, which remains one of the world's "liberal" societies in the classical sense of the word) should make this book one of the top 5 on their reading list.

But I am distressed that Pipes misses the origins of the revitalized Islamist movement.Sure, when Napoleon conquered Egypt, it was a great slap to the Muslim world, but nearly concurrently, in a corner of Arabia, a Sheik by the name of Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhab created a theology that condemned the Western colonists as kafir.This preacher, who was a far-off contemporary to Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Napoleon may have a greater impact on the global situation of the next two centuries than Franklin, Washington or Napoleon.It is disappointing that Pipes missed covering the life-story and mission of Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhab as his anti-colonial movement, rhetoric, and his Tawheed is very influential among today's salafists and islamists.

Also, minimal coverage has been given to the writings of Al-Ghazali and Sayed Q'tub.These are names that westerners should understand more than those of terrorists, because they are the Marx and Engels of today's extreme islamist fundamentalists, and in their own way, their messages are creative and appealing to a particular audience.

Finally, there is no real coverage of the later 20th century's population explosion in the islamic world.There, a population that had been less than 350 million in 1950 has grown to over 1.4 billion by 2000.Is it any wonder that there is a surge in militancy when one's population is growing so rapidly and when the financiers of mass education in this world are Salafists extremists who see the ascendancy of their version (Q'tub's, Wahhab's, and Al-Ghazili's) of Islam as pre-ordained destiny?

Finally, too much is made of the Shiite influences on Islam.While the Shiites are a dominant sect in Iran, and parts of Iraq, and while the Shiite fundamentalists of Iran were the first to point the way to rebellion against the so-called "evil" West when they invaded the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the most populous version of islamism remains the Saudi dominated Salafists (or Wahhabis) of the Sunni majority.This group accounts for perhaps 90% of the imans in today's non-Muslim world, and about 60% of the adherents in the traditional Muslim world.

Assesses militant Islam
Militant Islam has been responsible for plenty of violence recently?But why? Pipes begins by showing that while Islamic militants may comprise only ten per cent or so of the Islamic world, their effect is enormous.When they take control of a nation, they create a rogue state, causing misery both at home and abroad.They repress moderate Muslims and treat non-Muslims as inferior creatures.

Pipes points out that Muslim demographics is not the issue: Muslim moderation is.If Islamists win, we'll see much more violence and many more threats.One recommendation is to allow Turkey, a moderate nation, to join the European Union.And Pipes also explains that poverty and militant Islam are pretty much unrelated: improving the economic situation in a nation does not make it more moderate.

The author discusses Islamist goals in the United States.One key is going beyond acceptance of Islam and Muslim practices to restrict or disallow non-Muslim worship or customs.Such goals distinguish militants from moderates.And here is where Pipes suggests that our media could help, by distinguishing between the two.Instead much of our media are reluctant to criticize the militants, fearing accusations of political incorrectness, bias, defamation, and Islamophobia.Pipes points out that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a leader in the Islamist campaign to intimidate those who oppose the militants.CAIR supports Hamas, so one of its biggest goals is to reduce the criticism of Hamas terror against Israel.That raises the issue of the threat groups such as CAIR pose to American society by urging antisemitic violence.

Pipes has some advice for us: avoid working with militant Islamic groups, don't appease or help Islamists, support those who confront the militants, press militant states to reduce their aggression, and urge gradual democritization.

This is a useful and informative book.

Pipes is a genius!
Militant Islam Reaches America is required reading for any American that want to live and not be a victim of militant Islam murder.

The author writes, in detail, in a marvelously researched manner.The mistake that many people make is that Islam is only anti-Israel and anti-Jewish.For from it.Islam is anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Protestant, anti-Catholic, and anti-Buddhist, anti just about everything.

Even if there was no Israel, or the US was not an ally of Israel, radical Islam would still despise the USA.

When Islam despises you, your live is in danger.

This is a horrifying book.What is most horrifying is that it is non-fiction. ... Read more

Isbn: 0393052044
Sales Rank: 239669
Subjects:  1. American    2. General    3. Islam    4. Islam - General    5. Islam and politics    6. Islamic fundamentalism    7. Muslims    8. Political activity    9. Politics - Current Events    10. Religion    11. Religion And Politics    12. United States   

American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us
by Steven Emerson
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Hardcover (04 February, 2002)
list price: $26.00
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Editorial Review

Some have said that the events of September 11 took every American by surprise. That's not true. There were Cassandras among us warning about the dangers of Islamic terrorism--and one of their leaders was Steven Emerson, who must be ranked among the most fearless reporters in the world. As a self-made expert on Islamic terrorism, he has invited the hatred of violent murderers. (At least one group has marked him for assassination; he was offered enrollment in the federal witness protection program, but refused). For more than 10 years, Emerson has soldiered on, studying groups that operate in the United States for the express purpose of funding and managing deadly organizations. American Jihad summarizes what he has learned, and it isn't comforting. Emerson shows how the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has grown an extensive network in the United States, how the group Islamic Jihad set up shop at the University of South Florida, and how an Islamic center in Tucson helped recruit two of Osama bin Laden's top deputies. He also provides circumstantial evidence that bin Laden himself once applied for an American visa--"even the possibility is tantalizing, and chilling," he concludes. He urges Americans to fight back, but worries that time is short: "We are still vulnerable." This is an important book, and a sobering one. --John Miller ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Only breeds unnecessary hatred for Muslims
All this book does is breed suspicion and hatred of all Muslims, the majority of which are good and peace loving people.Instead of being swayed by such bias, get to know a Muslim yourself.A great book to help you understand that the majority of Muslims are not hateful terrorists is "Arab Voices Speak to American Hearts" www.arabvoicesspeak.com

Grounbreaking!
Steven Emersonis one of those people that are called crazy.

Only years later to find that his theories were 100% accurate.

Only then will people say, why didn't' we listed to Steven Emerson.

American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us is a powerful and scary book.

If you like democracy and want the US to stay a democracy, read this book.

A report on radical Islamic terrorism in the USA
Is it out of line for terrorist groups to preach in favor of violence against Americans, Jews, and Christians?It seems to me that if they are actually committing terrorist acts, they are criminals and it seems to me that those who donate money to help them in their criminal endeavors are accessories.

In 1992, journalist Steven Emerson happened to attend a meeting of the Muslim Arab Youth Association (MAYA) in Oklahoma City.He was surprised to find a large amount of anti-American, anti-Jewish, and anti-Christian propaganda there, as well as speakers from Hamas and other terrorist groups.But he was even more surprised to discover that the FBI had no mandate to investigate this.But as the FBI expalined, it was merely hateful rhetoric, wasn't it?

Emerson decided to find out just how much more was going on than mere hateful rhetoric.And he found some material which was broadcast in a 1994 television program, "Jihad in America."The program did win some awards, but Emerson was now surprised to discover the intensity of some of the more outlandish denials of parts of his program by various Muslim groups.

Since then, many of the rest of us are the ones who have been surprised by the seriousness of the problem.No, there is no plan of a coup that will take over the government.But we've seen terror within our borders, with the most notable being the attacks on the World Trade Center.

This book traces the infiltration of the United States by Hamas and other terrorist groups.It tells about the University of South Florida and the now notorious Sami al-Arian, who was allowed to remain at the university for years in spite of his terrorist activities.While there may be a question about who knew exactly what al-Arian was up to and how much they knew, the important fact is that America was a very easy place to infiltrate.Too easy.America served as an ideal location for terrorist group command and coordination activities.

That leads Emerson to a discussion of al-Qaeda, as well as his ideas about how we can fight back against the terrorists.

One of the most interesting parts of the book is the appendix that lists nine radicalized groups that "provide significant support for terrorist organizations," namely MAYA, AIG, ICW, CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), AMC (American Muslim Council), ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America), MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Council), AMA, and ISNA, and briefly summarizes their activities.

I recommend this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0743233247
Subjects:  1. American    2. Current Affairs    3. International Relations - General    4. Islam    5. Islam - General    6. Islam and terrorism    7. Jihad    8. Muslims    9. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    10. Politics - Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Religious aspects    13. Terrorism    14. Terrorists    15. United States    16. Current Events / General   

Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest Growing Faith
by Robert Spencer, David Pryce-Jones
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Hardcover (August, 2002)
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Reviews (107)

Recommended to all who value democracy.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to a very wide audience.

Some previous, non-religious reviewers, in some of the longer reviews, have accused Spencer of being unbalanced.They have said that he dwells too much on his own faith, Christianity and isn't fair to Islam.But please see pages 113-116 on the achievements of Muslims in science and poetry.He also is quick (in my opinion too quick) to point out the sins of Christianity.Not too one-sided in my opinion.

On the crusades, Spencer includes a refreshing balance-correcting chapter (ch8).Another good single chapter read on the subject is found in Jacques Ellul's Subversion of Christianity (ISBN: 0802800491 - the one gripe I have with this chapter/book, is its swipe at Calvinism).Indeed, there were no crusades before the advent of Islam and it can be strongly put that they were purely and simply a reaction to it, if not imitation of it.If Christianity was originally spread because the disciples saw, believed and couldn't contain themselves regarding the resurrection appearances, then how was Islam spread?Did all the people of the Middle East peacefully say "I no longer believe what I was given by the four who testified, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and will now stake everything on the writings of Mohammed"?It would appear that violence was involved.

If the same decision was before me, and it has been, I'd need to make a thorough enquiry of Mohammed's character to see whether his testimony is weightier than the abovementioned four.

It is clear that a large proportion of the negative reviewers who have only contributed 5 lines have not found anything concrete in the book that they could argue against, if indeed they have read the book at all.It appears to be a common practice amongst Muslims today to distribute email lists of books they want to flood with negative reviews.The same goes for blogs which are negative about Islam.

A previous reviewer has said that 700 Jews that Mohammed slaughtered (tribe/clan/group unspecified) broke a treaty with him and "committed treason".Don Richardson, in "Secrets of the Koran" (ISBN: 0830731237), demonstrates that the three tribes of Jews killed by Mohammed and his companions could not have been aggressors or at fault in the conflicts.

Excellent book
As usual, people that gave this book a 1 star (probably never read it) provide the same arguments for why we should not buy it and why Amazon should not be selling it on their website. Let me remind these people that, while suppressing free speech might be the norm in most Muslim countries, it is not tolerated in the free world. They want people to read the Qur'an but they forbid the translation of the book from Arabic. They want you to believe that all the people that are converting to Islam do so out of conviction even though they don't speak a word of Arabic! I grew up in the Middle East with Arabic as my native language and I have a hard time understanding the Qur'an. The disturbing thing about Islam for me is that the peaceful and faithful Muslims are reluctant to condemn the actions of the fanatics. Maybe it stems from the fact that Islam teaches that a Muslim should always stand by another Muslim brother whether he is an oppressor or oppressed.

N.B:
Islam is growing at a fast pace for a simple reason: Demographics. While most Christian families in the Western world have one or two kids, Muslim families have many more kids. I believe that bearing children is a God given gift that should be respected and admired. That said, polygamy is the norm in most Muslim countries and it's particularly appealing to a lot of tribal people in sub-Saharan Africa.

Good, but rather redundant
I am disturbed that this book garnered so many negative reviews. I can accept that devote Muslims would hate this book because they are irrational people who can't brook any criticism of their religion, but to see all these phony, irrational bleeding heart liberals bray their usual swan song of tolerance shows how far liberalism has strayed from its rational, freedom loving fundamentals. How can these people explain the pervasive backwardness, oppression of women and other non-Muslim minorities, violence in the name of Allah, and war as a means to spread Islam that exists today in the Islamic world? You can't point your finger at what Christian bigots did 300 years ago and pretend that is some kind of "get out of jail free card". If Muslim countries and Islam want the kind of acceptance amongst equals they better start adapting to the concepts of the UN's Universal charter of human rights or similiar documents. Far from being isolated acts perpetrated by a few fanatics, Muslim terrorists and murderers receive widespread support through out the Islamic world ala Osama Bin Laden, Rushidies fascistic death fatwa, Van Gogh's awful assassination, the jihad against Christians in the Sudan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, etc etc. These are not aberrations. The western fools who bray about racism and intolerance of this book should be braying about the racism and intolerance of Islam. I am sick of all these ignorant, patronizing "liberal" supporters pretending they are reliving the Freedom Rides of the 1960's. Wake up people and take a look around! This reminds me of the useful fools and Communist agents who tried to spin the mass murders and denial of human rights of the Marxist regimes as some figments of the anti-Communist zealots or that these red tyrants weren't being Marxist enough. Systems of beliefs should get judged by their results, and I see very few people moving to to Islamic countries just like very few people moved to Marxist countries. Look at the flow of migrants, they are all moving away to the West. ... Read more

Isbn: 1893554589
Sales Rank: 25259
Subjects:  1. Apologetics    2. Christianity    3. Controversial literature    4. General    5. Islam    6. Islam - General    7. Relations    8. Religion    9. Religion - World Religions   

Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam
by Gilles Kepel, Anthony Roberts
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 April, 2002)
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Editorial Review

Gilles Kepel's Jihad is an intense, detailed examination of the militant Islamist movement over the last quarter-century. Kepel divides his book into two parts--"Expansion" and "Decline"--and posits that the September 11, 2001, attacks, rather than demonstrating "strength and irrepressible might," highlighted the "isolation" and "fragmentation" of a "faltering" and probably doomed extremist ideology. Kepel follows Islamism from its theoretical underpinnings in the late 1960s and its rapid expansion into Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Central, South, and Southeast Asia, through the Taliban's ascendancy in Afghanistan and beyond. He explains Islamism's attractions, and outlines its severe shortcomings. With consummate skill, he illuminates the bewilderingly intricate effects global events (oil prices, the fall of Communism) have had on internal politics of individual countries, and vice versa. Kepel, wisely, refuses to prognosticate. Instead, his achievement is in providing--for the determined reader--a deeply authoritative context for the seemingly inexplicable events of the recent past. --H. O'Billovich ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Nonsense complete
I have to agree with the writer who expresses incredulity at the levelof naivete in this book; I too was struck by it, and concerned by the notion that anyone could have absorbed as much information about Islam as Giles Kepel seems to have done without actually understanding the languages (lingua franca) of the Muslim masses.

It is truly appalling, in fact. There is absolutely nothing to suggest that the conclusions Keppel drew in this tome jibe with the reality, and if the man had done any reading whatever in the history of Islamic terror, which actually dates back to the time of Mohammed, one has to wonder what he did with that knowledge.

The fact is, for example, that something on the order of 15 to 20 million persons were massacred in cold blood during the 500-year reign of Islamic terror on the Indian subcontinent alone! That reign of terror began in the 8th century, and continues to this day, wherein Pakistan, Muslims routinely murder Christians and anyone perceived as an "apostate" with wild abandon, and no legal ramifications whatever. This is what we have to fear, and it is not only the radicals who are promoting such behavior. This is the heart of Islam, which at its core, hates anyone and everyone who is not Islamic, or Muslim.

Tant pis (the worse for us) that Kepel is such an educated dummy.

DO NOT FEAR THE ISLAMIC TERRORISTS!
Gilles Kepel's ultimate message in this book is clear: the Western democracies should not exaggerate the threat of Islamic terrorism because it is on the decline.
This, however, is far from certain.
Kepel bases his analysis , and his conclusion, on a very small amount of evidence gathered from a few Muslim countries. He has , as might be expected, no access to the internal debate of the various terror organisations that operate throughout the Muslim world.
Another problem is that Kepel does not seem to understand the importance of such traditions as " kitman" and " taqyyiah" in the Islamic culture which make it incumbent on the believer to hide his real beliefs and feelings whenever and wherever he senses that the general environment might be hostile to him.
The fact that Kepel, who seems to know a little bit of Arabic, has no knowledge of Persian, Turkish, Urdu and other major Islamic languages is a further handicap as the bulk of the ideological litrerature of terror is curently produced in those languages, and not in Arabic. MT

Excellent book, offers some unique analysis
Kipel's book is both an authentic guide and a quick survey of the rise - and his assessment of the fall - of militant Islamic Jihad. Kipel traces the origins of Muslim radical movements in all of the Islamic countries and highlights the circumstances that diverted them from theological preaching to violent activity.
From the very beginning, Kipel offers a unique analysis saying that the events of 9/11 signaled the end of Islamic terrorism and not its climax since militant Muslim groups felt compelled to win some attention among fellow Muslims by embarking on a grandiose terror activity, but to no avail.
Kipel also tells of the reaction of the different regimes to these movements. At the time some rulers quenched Muslim radical groups and systematically destroyed them later, other sovereigns contained them or even used them to consolidate their rule.
The book has a peculiarly interesting entry about the Muslim community in Europe and describes its growth and eventual politicization.
Fitting this voluminous information into a single book, however, meant that Kipel had to sacrifice other pieces of info. When describing the relations of these movements with foreign - regional and international groups - the book only provides a quick narration of the CIA support of Muslim Mujahideen in their war in Afghanistan against the Soviets.
In other Muslim countries that witnessed a rise in militant Islamic activity, relations of these groups were put only in their domestic context.
The book also offers a unique analysis of the Islamic movement as it ties its dynamics, in a Marxist manner, to the relations between the different social classes and their socioeconomic circumstances, especially the always rising unemployment. ... Read more

Isbn: 0674008774
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. History & Theory - General    3. International Relations - General    4. Islam    5. Islam - History    6. Islam and politics    7. Jihad    8. Political Process - Political Parties    9. Political Science    10. Politics - Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Public Policy - Regional Planning   

Hatred's Kingdom : How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism
by Dore Gold
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (February, 2003)
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Editorial Review

In the global search for culprits and causes in the rise of terrorism, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold shines a spotlight on a nation many think of as a close ally of the United States: Saudi Arabia. As he explains in Hatred’s Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism, Gold believes that the Saudi government is greatly influenced by the Islamist sect known as Wahhabism and, he explains, that influence has lead to Saudi support of terrorism in the Middle East, Europe, the United States and around the world. The historical portion of Gold’s argument, where he traces the emergence of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the changing face of Saudi leadership, is admirably extensive and detailed. His modern research is a little more uneven, relying on statements by various Muslim clergy members, letters to the editors of newspapers, opinion pieces, and other evidence that is rarely damnable. Curiously, mentions of Israel and the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict are much more infrequent than one would expect from an Israeli diplomat and scholar. But regardless of one’s opinion of Gold’s research or his alarming conclusions, the book offers something not often found in modern political nonfiction: a coherent structure, exhaustive research, and a clear and consistent perspective on the ongoing threat of terrorism. --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (77)

The MOST important book about 9.11
Mr. Gold has done a remarkable job doing what the hacks at the 9.11 commission couldn't: (paging Clinton/Reno/Hubbell crony Jamie Gorelick.They lost ALL credibility by removing Dr. Kissinger and fawning all over Richard Clarke) determing why 15 of the 19 hijackers were delivered from the House of Saud.

It's simple:Wahhabism, as it is created, fostered, and exported in incredible amounts by our friends, the Saudis.Ambassador Gold documents the entire history of hate being preached in Saudi Arabia and it's troubling relationship with the country's leaders and its role in creating Bin Laden and like minded jihaders .In essence, the clerics in SA run the country like the mullahs of Iran, just more discreetly behind the scenes.The effects are no less dangerous.In the mosques and schools, daily invective of anti-Christian (American) and anti-Jewish (Israel).

Not satisfied with complete mind control of Saudi citizens, and using the vast wealth of the country from petro dollars, Saudi Arabia has exported their militant form of Islam throughout the world including Pakistan, Yemen, the Philipines, the Balkans, and many other areas.

Mr. Gold chronicles the history that the Saudi Royal has with the Wahhabi hating clerics.In return for large sums of money to spread their form of Islam, which singled out other Muslims as well non-Muslims, the clerics would not agitate for a cleric run state and sharia law.

Mr. Gold leaves us asking incredulously, why didn't we expect this before 9.11.The al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda-linked bombings in 93, 95, 96, 98, and 2000 can all be tracked back to the Saudi approved clerical rulings and fatwas advocating jihad against all "non-believers."The book details the complete intransigence of the Saudis during the investigation of the Khobar Towers bombings of 1996.President Clinton even visted the country to get their assistance.

And for the leftists who dismissed Saddam and Bin Laden's cooperation in terror, the author reports on historical ties between secular governments and Bin Laden.They shared two common enemies:The United States and Israel.

I wish Mr. Gold would have explored more deeply the actions the US and the world should take with the Saudis.Clearly, the US could use a new energy policy (drilling in Alaska should have been a no brainer).It severely disappointed me that President Bush had Prince Abdullah to the ranch, especially after hosting Prime Minister Sharon.Mr. Gold does point out that the violence inspiring sermons can be viewed as a violation of international law and definitely of President Bush's "You are either with us or the terrorists" edict.

Mr. Gold does a good job at assuring us that Islam is a religion of peace, but offers little proof of that.

Overall, an incredible book, well-researched, and further proof of the need for the US to listen to neocons like the editors of the Weekly Standard, Wall Street Journal, National Review, and Little Green Footballs (I believe) and reevaluate our "special relationship" with the House of Saud.

A missed opportunity
Along with David Pryce-Jones's The Closed Circle: An Interpretation of the Arabs, this book gives one much needed insight into today's Middle East and the countries surrounding Israel.What was most startling to find out from the book is that Wahhabi Islam outside of Saudi Arabia, in Qatar and Bahrain, does not produce the extreme opposition to fundamental human rights routinely found in Saudi Arabia.I don't recall if Gold indicates whether Wahhabis in Qatar and Bahrain execute those who desert Islam but they have routinely not opposed granting women the right to vote.To me, Gold's missed opportunity was to clearly delineate why Wahhabism is different in these countries and to try to formulate a policy approach with which Saudi Arabia could be transformed to be more like its neighbors and less like what Gold documents it to be today.The unholy alliance the House of Saud has made with the muftis is what is directly responsible for the vitriol fueling hatred in the Middle East.This is Gold's most valuable insight.

Written by a hypocrit with a major agenda
I read this book and felt overwhelmed with resentment at the
writer and people who share his views.The book was written to
insight hatred and distrust between America and Saudi Arabia,
maybe to keep the evangelicals on the march to Israeli
promotional conventions.What better way to get the money flowing
then to write a book to engage American emotions and fears.
And how interesting it is that Gold's home country never takes
responsibilty for anything it does,and mistakes made.Yeh,aim the blame at someone else while you take more Palestinian
land and make their lives a living hell.Then take more from us
Americans while you spread discord between two countries who
need more understanding rather than your hate driven lies.
Also this book does not represent the many conflicting opinions
of his people,the Israelis,not all of them think as he does.
... Read more

Isbn: 0895261359
Subjects:  1. Arab-Israeli conflict    2. Criminology    3. History    4. History: World    5. Islamic fundamentalism    6. Israel-Arab conflicts    7. Middle East - General    8. Middle East - Israel    9. Middle East - Saudi Arabia    10. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    11. Political Terrorism    12. Politics - Current Events    13. Saudi Arabia - History    14. Terrorism    15. Wahhabiyah    16. Wahhåabåiyah   

Why Terrorism Works
by Alan M. Dershowitz
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (04 September, 2002)
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Reviews (29)

Very well thought out
This was an extremely interesting book for me. Although, there are some minor contentions I have with some of the points raised in this book, I believe that torture warrants can have its place. One reviewer shocked me by saying even if the fingernail torture would work, she wouldn't care because it is simply 'wrong' for this country to ever do such a thing. The worst wrong is to know some terrorists have crucial information that can save many innocent American lives, but refuse to talk. If it means saving many American lives from hell and murder, it would be more evil to ignore possibly millions of innocents who have a right to live but may not, as oppossed to worrying about the extreme non-lethal pain under a terrorists fingernails who by confessing important information may help the United States to protect its own. Admittily, this country has soul searching to do regarding why the unbelievable has happened and can happen again which may perhaps be as painful as torture itself. But under the criteria outlined in Dershowitz's book, the controlled torture warrants in very extreme cases is the lesser of the two evils by far.

A Voice of Reason
I titled this review "A Voice of Reason."Because, if anything, Alan Dershowitz is a thinker, and a very good one.I did not mean to imply, however, that I agree with all his reasoning.But, oh how refreshing to hear a non-combative voice of reason on the issue of how to deal with terrorism.Everyone wanting to know more about what we should do and should not do should read Dershowitz' book first.It will set up the mind constructs you need for thinking about the problem.

Some reviewers claim Dershowitz is biased; i.e.--that he focuses too much on Palestinian terrorists.I disagree.His 21 pages enumerating Palestinian terrorist attacks convince me that Dershowitz focuses his attention right where it needs to be.He does not neglect Al Quaeda.He gives them the attention they deserve.And he gives the Palestinian terrorists the attention they deserve.

Dershowitz proposes that there be a world-wide debate about what defensive techniques should be allowed against terrorists.He includes a most thoughtful discussion about whether or not a country is justified in torturing a terrorist if the country feels that a massive terrorist attack is eminent.He argues that history proves that all countries will use torture in such a situation, but it will be sub-rosa torture in the countries where it is outlawed.He argues for a formalized system where the Federal court system gives the okay in extreme situations, so that the protections the judicial branch afford to us are afforded in these extreme situations too.He argues that judges are far less likely to approve such extreme tactics as are heads of intelligence agencies.

Detractors of his argument claim Dershowitz is proposing a reversion from civilized morality back to a darker era.He asserts, however, that he is not proposing anything new or reversionary.Rather, he is protesting the fact that torture occurs sub-rosa instead of being subject to judicial review.Disagree if you will, but it is wrong to mischaracterize what Dershowitz proposes.It is, after all, the same kind of argument as the "condoms for kids" issue.One side argues that premarital sex is happening anyway, so we should provide condoms to help prevent pregnancy and disease.The other side argues that the condoms themselves promote ever more promiscuity.There is truth on both sides of the argument.Dershowitz is fully cognizant of both sided of the issue.I wonder if some of the reviewers here are.

Dershowitz' argument for NICs (national identity cards) is the single area where I think he may have missed a critical point.Undoubtedly, NICs would help us control who gets into and stays in the United States.They also would stop lots of identity theft, fraud, and abuse.No arguments there.No arguments with his rationales either.But, just like the Social Security number, soon businesses would require the NIC as proof of person.Can you imagine the economic damage that could be done to a person if his/her NIC came up "invalid?"You could buy nothing without cash, and you couldn't get the cash without a valid NIC.Hmmm!That gives the government power to economically sanction individuals that voice opposition to their policies.The invalidation of your NIC would, of course just be an "unfortunate mistake" should you be successful in drawing the media's attention to it.Dershowitz says nothing about this possibility, which surprised me, because no fundamentalist Christian would ever miss this "mark of the beast" issue.

Notwithstanding the one omission just mentioned, I heartily recommend this book.The author makes you think, and leaves you enlightened and assured that we can manage terrorism and still preserve our liberties if we approach the problem with non-partisan rationality.

Sobering Debate
Why is there terrorism in the world today? Alan Dershowitz speculates the reason can be found in the world's reaction to terrorism in the past. He claims the appeasing nature of the European nations when faced with the terrorist acts of Yassir Arafat's PLO (and other Palestinian groups) from 1968 to 2000 convinced the Islamic extremists that terrorism indeed achieved its desired results and is therefore a popular device used today.

Dershowitz details the history of terrorism, going back to ancient times, but he focuses primarily on the terrorism began by Palestinians in 1968 (and continuing to this day). With the exception of the United States and Israel, each country victimized by Arafat's terroristic acts eventually caved to him, met his demands and eventually recognized his cause. Countries like Germany, France and Italy are Dershowitz's favorite targets, as he contends the leaders of those countries acted exclusively with self interest, failing to consider the incentive they were giving to the terrorists to commit harsher and more creative crimes in the future. Dershowitz asks why would terrorists stop terrorizing when not only were they not punished for their crimes, but they were also rewarded with exposure and support. We all know about the Olympic killings in Munich, but how many people know that Germany released three of the murderers involved shortly after their arrest?

According to Dershowitz, the actions of European countries from 1968-2000 made the September 11th attacks inevitable. They received no penalty for similar crimes in the past (and actually received incentive), so why not do it?

Even though Dershowitz is not usually a fan of the politics of George W. Bush (see his book on the election of 2000), he sees the overwhelming response by Bush after 9/11 as the proper action for any nation victimized by terrorism. Whereas Dershowitz believes the European nations encourage future terrorist acts with their actions, Bush's effort to strike back with sever and precise force is the right thing to do.

Dershowitz goes on to discuss scenarios in which torture would be morally acceptable when fighting terrorism. Many people will ask if this is the same Alan Dershowitz who has made a career out of being one of the top civil liberties attorneys in the world. Yes, it is. Even though he puts a deep importance on civil liberties, he also believes the safety of the world takes precedence. Dershowitz has spent years developing his theories on when the safety of the masses trumps the liberties of some. Most of his counterparts prefer to bury their heads in the sand on this issue, unable to face the reality that sometimes liberty must be sacrificed for the betterment of society.

Dershowitz keeps coming back to two important events. First, he uses a quote by George W. Bush after the beheading of Daniel Pearl in which Bush says terrorists must understand that these types of acts only hurt their cause. Dershowitz shows how terrorists have not believed that in the past when their crimes were directed at most of the world (excluding the USA and Israel).

Dershowitz's second favorite event to discuss is the pre-9/11 incarceration of Zacharias Massaoui and civil liberty laws that tied the hands of the authorities who had him in custody. He claims this is a close real world example of the "ticking time bomb" scenario many philosophers and leaders have debated for centuries: what tactics are you willing to take to get information from someone who knows of a catastrophic event but will not discuss it?

Dershowitz's solutions point to a man who truly is concerned with protecting the constitutional rights of the individual and abiding by the laws of the Geneva Convention, but who is also concerned with avoiding the naive policies of most civil libertarians who would rather protect the rights of one man than to save the lives of thousands. Even those who disagree with him on certain issues will see a debate master at work.Rarely are arguments more focused, more passionate, better researched or more convincing.A must read for anyone interested in understanding global terrorism. ... Read more

Isbn: 0300097662
Sales Rank: 108512
Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    3. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    4. Political Science    5. Political Terrorism    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Prevention    9. Terrorism   

Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide
by Bat Yeor, Miriam Kochan, David Littman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 December, 2001)
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Reviews (13)

An eyopening account dispels myths
It is a dominant theme of the literature on the Jewish Diaspora that Jews in Muslim lands were treated better than Jews among Christians.It is repeated like a mantra, every student of Jewish history or of Islamic studies must learn it and repeat it, until it becomes myth.This excellent study is one of the few to challenge this dominat view.Today academics encourage the propoganda that Islam is 'more tolerant' than Christianity.However here we are given a small taste of that 'tolerance'.Dhimmi is a word meaning 'protected'.However just as the Nazis created concentration camps to 'protect' the Jews the word itself can be used in many ways.This book analyzes the experience of Jews in Muslim lands.Some have accused this work of 'only' concentrating on the negative aspects of Muslim-Jewish relations, however this is just the point, a litany of works have focused on this subject in Europe, it time that the dust be taken from the truth about Islamic nations.

Partly the problem rests on lack of sources and literature, this book begins to fill this essential gap.

A second way to analyze the question of which Jews were 'better off' is to see the end result.If Muslim lands were 'better' to the Jews then why did the Jews of Europe become free and wealthy?Why were there more Jews in Europe than muslim lands despite persecution, endless forced conversion and murder due to claims that Jews created the black death?Jews numbered 12 million in Christian lands while they numbered only a million in Muslim ones in 1930.By 1945 the numbers were 6 million and 1 million.By 1967 the numbers were 8 million and 50,000.

Seth J. Frantzman

Dispelling a myth
One of the great myths in regard to Islamic civilization is that it was egalitarian and respected fully the rights of Christians and Jews. In this work Bat- Yeor describes the status of 'dhimmitude' by which in Islamic society major minorities, as Christians and Jews were subject to legal and non- legal forms of discrimination. Bat-Yeor reveals that there is something in the historical attitude of Islam that makes it so difficult for it to recognize the real humanity of others, and give them an equal place in society.

Apparently not much protection for protected people
That most of Islam is today drastically hostile to Jews is obvious and is often explained as being the result of Zionism. But Bat Ye'or sets out to demolish the widely held idea that in CLASSICAL Islam the dhimmis (Protected People - Jews and Christians) had lived reasonably comfortably under Muslim rule in those centuries. She cites countless examples of humiliations that were deliberately inflicted on dhimmis, the uncertainty of their lives and of their possessions. I am sure that what she says about the maltreatment of Jews is correct and that is a valuable corrective to some received ideas. But because she concentrates entirely on this, and because her 528-page book finds no place for a discussion of the so-called "Golden Age" in Spain or of Jews and Jewish culture flourishing in ancient Iraq,in Egypt and in the early Ottoman centuries, it leaves an unfortunate impression of having been written with a partisan agenda.
... Read more

Isbn: 0838639437
Sales Rank: 53083
Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Christianity - General    3. Dhimmis    4. Ethnic relations    5. History    6. History: World    7. Islam - General    8. Islamic Empire    9. Islamic countries    10. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    11. Rhetoric   

The Age of Sacred Terror
by Daniel Benjamin, Steven Simon
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Hardcover (01 October, 2002)
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Reviews (34)

Best book on Terrorism yet
If you're interested in how today's current terrorist threat evolved over the centuries, through the 1980's Afghanistan War, and throughout the 1990s - read this book.I have given out many copies after first reading it.I had an opportunity to spend two hours with Dan Benjamin in a very small group setting after reading this book.He's a wonderful person, very passionate about the subject, and extremely non-political - unlike other counterterrorism authors coming out of the intelligence community.

Fundamental Islam not all encompassing
A good book to help understand fundamental Islam, however it is also important to understand ordinary Arabs (so as not to make prejudgements), the majority of who have nothing to do with terrorism.A great book that does this is Arab Voices Speak to American Hearts @ www.arabvoicesspeak.com.

A must read!
The Age of Sacred Terror is a good book that details the modern threat of terrorism. It explains the roots of the ideology of what is known as Wahhabism. Wahhabism is said to be the excuse that people like Osama bin Ladinuse to spread his hatred. This book gives you the history of Wahhabism and the link it has to terrorism. The book truly illustrates the new threat that the world faces and that we should not underestimate religious radical groups and what they are capable of achieving. The one problem I did see with the book is that it uses unnecessary words that require a dictionary and long tangent explanations. Over all I loved the book. I would recommend this book to all studiers of terrorism. ... Read more

Isbn: 0375508597
Sales Rank: 151333
Subjects:  1. Islam    2. Islam - General    3. Islam and terrorism    4. Jihad    5. Middle East - General    6. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    7. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    8. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    9. Political Science    10. Political Terrorism    11. Politics - Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Prevention    14. Religious aspects    15. Terrorism    16. Current Events / International   

The Sword of the Prophet: History, Theology, Impact on the World
by Srdja Trifkovic, Serge Trifkovic
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (11 September, 2002)
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Reviews (83)

An accurate accounting
Finally someone who is not afraid to speak his mind! The foundation of this book is backed up with facts from the Koran itself. I hear all the time from people who shout and scream about Islam being a peaceful religion. Well, not according to the history books. Islam has done more harm than good. So many people like to say that Islam deserves to be respected as any other religion. Not every religion holds a school full of children hostage and blows them up. Nor do they use pregnant woman as suicide bombers.

An arguement can be made about Christianity and the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. Those events came to pass because of selfish men with delusions of granduer (the Vatican did apologize for it's past crimes). However, nowhere in the Holy Bible does it emphatically advocate the killing of innocent and unarmed persons.

What's unsettling about this book is how Muslim leaders supported and pushed Adolf Hitler to exterminate the EuropeanJews during WWII to keep them from returning to Israel. We need to wake up and stop living in the land of blind, deaf and dumb. Everyday the media is sent into our homes to hoodwink us with the infamous word of the day- "insurgents".There are no insurgents, just good Muslims following in the footsteps of their beloved prophet Muhammed.

So, is Islam truly a religion of peace? Why don't you ask the victims of the Bali bombing, the families of the children who died in the schoolhouse bombing in Russia, or the victims of the 1995 Sarin gas attack on the subway system in Japan (a Japanese muslim was put to death for that crime in 2003), etc., etc. Until we wake up and put a stop to it, these crimes against the human race will continue...all in the name of Allah.

Muslim-Bashing at Its Worst
This is a Muslim-bashing at its worst.Lies, half-truths and distortions do not history or truth make.While there are some truths mentioned, most were half-baked, twisted or distorted and without the full story.
Other despicable acts mentioned are the work of evil humans who call themselves Muslim, but hardly act as Islam teaches.This is just like the Christian Crusaders, who boiled, roasted and ate babies (documented facts) on the First Crusade, the Spanish Inquisitors who tortured, maimed and killed in the name of Jesus, or Adolf Hitler and his cohorts, ostensibly Christians all, who perpetrated the most heinous crimes against humanity in recorded history.None of these acts had anything to do with what Christianity teaches either.So, why identify an entire religion with what a few of its so-called adherents did?
Interestingly enough, Muslims wouldn't dream of condemning Christianity for the acts of the Crusaders, Inquisitors, or Hitler, or anyone else.They believe that it's the individuals who are at fault, not the religion.That's how they see it.So, why can't we?If Muslims or Christians, or those from other faith traditions were to follow the teachings of their faith - so similar among all the world's major faiths world over - the world would be a much better place.
Otherwise, what the author has done here is rehash old stories that have been disproved before and added one or two new ones (with one-sided explanations).This is a book for people who want to believe the worst about Islam and Muslims.As such, it is hardly "historical," or "factual."
I've always found it interesting to see Christians so eager to attack Islam, while Muslims never attack Christianity in response.Perhaps that's because they've been told in the Qur'an not to do so, nor to argue with Christians (except kindly) and consider them closest in faith to themselves.
Some Christians, like the author of this work (if he is a Christian), all too often show Christianity at its worst.This is a trait too many Christians have shown, on behalf of Christianity, against all who disagreed with it since it became the religion of the Roman Empire at the end of the fourth century.
This is not to say Muslims haven't done bad things, or been bad people, far from it.But it does say that just as those Christians mentioned earlier who didn't follow their faith and its teachings, so some Muslims - not acting as Islam taught - have done horrific things, too.As such, they are not considered Muslims - like those who flew the hijacked planes into the Twin Towers.Knowledgeable Muslims believe they've "gone to hell in a handcart" as false martyrs.Whether or not they were actually practicing Muslims, or just using the religion as a cover for their heinous crimes as so many have done since time immemorial, will be left up to a higher authority than us to judge.
In conclusion, the publication of this book was a sad day for tolerance and understanding and, otherwise contributed nothing positive or good but only added immeasurably to ignorance about Muslims and Islam. Today, we are at war, but it's a war led by morally bankrupt and un-Christ-like neoconservative fundamentalist Christians against Islam.And this book has joined in the fray.

Michael D. Berdine, Ph.D

trifkovic is a truth teller and his book an eye opener
It's a shame that those who criticize Srdja Trifkovic and The Sword of the Prophet are not able to refute Trifkovic's work itself.As a matter of fact, many of the reviewers who reviewed this book negatively state that Trifkovic is an Islam hater and, because he isn't Muslim or because he's not an admirer of the Arab culture and Islamic religion, his opinion should be disregarded.Nothing could be further from the truth.Who would you want to get valid information from?Someone who studied and formed a valid opinion based on fact and history? Or, someone born into Islam-- a religion that, according to the Koran, it is blasphemous to critique and question?It's not that Trifkovic disliked Islam and then decided to condemn it, it's that he learned about it, studied it, and drew these conclusions based on what he learned.And, he learned it from history, from Islamic scholars and from the Koran.

Trifkovic's book is one of the best on the subject. He sources all of his material abundantly.He is concise. He states opposing viewpoints and common beliefs and refutes them irrefutably.He cites the Koran and sources the place.This isn't opinion Trifkovic shares.These are facts that he enlightens his readers with.There really isn't too much room for debate, because he is only citing facts that have happened in history and the Koran itself.And, as you can guess, he's not an apologist by any means.

The common belief that Islam is a "religion of peace" is false.According to Islam, we are always in the "house of war", but strive to be in the "house of peace".What's the house of peace, you ask? Well, according to Islam, we will be in the "house of peace" when the whole world is Muslim.And, the whole world will be Muslim by committing Jihad.These are the facts of Islam.Like it or not.What is going on in Sudan? What was the Beslan school massacre about? The Southern Philippines and elsewhere? Believe it or bury your head in the sand like so many others do today.

I would also recommend Steven Emerson's American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us and David Pryce-Jones' Closed Circle: An Interpretation of the Arabs. ... Read more

Isbn: 1928653111
Sales Rank: 7609
Subjects:  1. Controversial literature    2. General    3. Islam    4. Islam - General    5. Religion    6. Religion - World Religions   

Cruelty and Silence: War, Tyranny, Uprising, and the Arab World
by Kanan Makiya
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1994)
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Reviews (7)

Important Book
Makiya is not a Zionist or a Neo-Con, so it's hard for the Manichean anti-Americans to demonize his evidence and arguments against the totalitarian-drooling status quo in the Middle East.In the first half off the book, he relays heart-breaking anecdotes about sons unable to kiss their dying mothers after a chemical attack, children raped in front of their parents, prisoners forced to drink gasoline and shot so that they would explode, children surviving mass grave shooting, all in that "noble" Arab Gov't known as Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

The second half of the book is a scathing indictment of the Edward Saids and Noam Chomskys of the world who rationalize the inhumanity all too prevalent in the Mid-East, specifically in Iraq, "Saddam was a victim, The U.S. is worse, Saddam's strong!" and all that junk.Because Makiya isn't a GOP Zionist, these criticisms are particularly strong and persuasive.The book is a much needed call on the part of Arabs and Muslims to adopt a Liberty-based morality instead of a relativistic, ethnic allegience based morality.A good book for all to read.

Now it's our turn to prove we believe our own words.
Now that the American government is controlling Saddam's infamous Abu Ghraib/Ghurayb prison, the site of many atrocities like those described in Cruelty and Silence, we owe it to ourselves to study the crimes against humanity that were perpetrated there. Arguments about whether the old death chamber should be destroyed or maintained for future generations go without much notice in the United States, as do the reports of ongoing investigations to insure we follow legal guidelines in handling the prisoners we now hold at Abu Ghraib. We owe it to ourselves to operate this facility in a manner which testifies to our philosophy and way of life. And when we question ourselves, the cause in Iraq, the price we pay, the chances of success, we should understand the nature of the vicious regime which created the disfunctional and factionalized Iraqi society we see today. Cruelty and Silence helps us develop a long-term perspective to the challenges ahead.

A witness to horror and courage
This is one of the best books I have read all year. Ten years old, it is still agonisingly relevant. In its bearing witness to human cruelty, human indifference but also human courage, it is as unflinching, as passionate and as magnificent as the works of Primo Levi. Beautifully written, meticulously observed, focussed on people, not abstractions, it is a book that haunts me and will continue to do so for a long time to come. If you have any doubts at all about the rightness of invading Iraq, read this book. There will be no doubts left, only a terrible regret that the ousting of the Saddam regime was not done long, long ago. ... Read more

Isbn: 0393311414
Sales Rank: 413571
Subjects:  1. General    2. Middle East - General    3. Politics - Current Events    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Social issues   

Jihad in the West: Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries
by Paul Fregosi, Paul Fergosi
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 1998)
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Editorial Review

Jihad is back, says Paul Fregosi, but this current incarnation has a long history behind it. From the start, Islamic fundamentalism has intended to expand the Muslim religion to encompass the entire world through conversion, or, in many instances, violence. Yet until now it has lacked a general historical narrative: "The jihad has been the most unrecorded and disregarded major event of history," writes Fregosi. Jihad in the West attempts to describe the history of Islamic and European conflict over 1,500 years, including moments such as the climactic battle at Tours (if the Moors had won it in 732, much of Europe might be Muslim today), the sieges of Vienna, and the Barbary Corsairs (the battle U.S. Marines refer to when they sing about "the shores of Tripoli"). Such a sweep necessarily sacrifices detail for breadth, yet it still provides a helpful backdrop to understanding a religious movement that has played a prominent role in late-20th-century terrorism. Many Muslims will quarrel with Fregosi when he compares jihad to a Christian sacrament, and the book would benefit from footnotes. Jihad in the West nevertheless is a good introduction to an often-ignored topic. --John J. Miller ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Brilliant book
Jihad in the West: Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries is a brilliant book.

The research by Paul Fregosi is perfect.

Every lover of democracy should read this book and Paul Fregosi should get a Pulitzer.

The first of its kind.
This is the first thing I have ever read from Paul Fregosi and he gained my immediate admiration, not just as a person, but as a writer who is not afraid to convey his message without mincing words.Readers will instantly notice a total lack of political correctness in Fregosi's work.Too many writers today are scared to "offend" the reader.You won't find that here.Fregosi has a message to send and he lays it right out.I'm sure many Muslims and Muslim apologists will be offended by this work, but that's okay.Let them dispute it with facts of their own.

Muslims and others of the anti-Christian crowd like to cite the Crusades as the beginning of the Jihad, but Fregosi blows that out of water by giving 1,300 years of examples of Jihad.He begins by giving the reader a look into the origins of the Islamic faith.Fregosi cuts right to the chase by exposing the Prophet Muhammad for what he truly was; a thief, a pedophile and a murderer.I get the picture of a Charles Manson with 600,000,000 followers. He goes on to expose many of the myths perpetrated by the Islamic faith, such as the Holiness of Jerusalem to the Muslims.We have been force fed to believe Jerusalem holds significant religious value to the Muslims because Muhammad spent time there.It turns out, his only time there by way of a "night walk" which appears to have been little more than a 7th century acid trip.In short, Fregosi gives us information about Islam that we will never get from the evening news.

I don't want to give the false impression that this is little more than Islam bashing, because that is not the case.Fregosi also goes out of his way to present two sides to this story.When Christians and other groups wrongly treated or abused Muslims, Fregosi is quick to point it out.

This isn't just a book about Jihad either.This book gives the reader a basic insight into much about the Arab world that is largely unknown to western culture, such as politics, in-fighting among Arabs, social trends and much more.I know of no other source where the reader can obtain so much information about the Muslim world in a single volume.

As this book has been on the market for several years now, it has been condemned by many who claim it to be a work of biased hatred. To those people I would simply ask a few true or false questions.

1) Fregosi states that Islamic Jihad against the infidels has been going on for over 1,300 years.True or False

2) In a March 1941 radio address from Berlin to the Arab countries, the Grand Mufti, al-Haj Mohamed Amin al Hussein, called on his listeners to "kill the Jews wherever you find them," for, he said, "this pleases God, history and religion." True or False

3) Islam considers itself doctrinally a religion where destiny is to dominate and rule the world.True or False

4) History gives us undisputable evidence that the Prophet Muhammad was a thief, a pedophile and a murderer. True or False

If one were able to dispute that all of these and many other statements were true, then you might be able to call this book a work of biased hatred, but they are all true statements.If detractors chose to be obtuse about the truth and be obdurate in their belief, then that is their problem, not the authors.

The cold, hard, non-politically correct truth is, the predominantly Christian west is at war with the Muslim world. That war isn't going to stop in our lifetimes.If you believe, as I do, that it is best to know your enemy, then this book is a must read.If you think the Muslim desire to destroy the infidel was brought about by recent western interference in the Middle East, then wake up and buy this book.

One of the most important books in print?
Paul Fergosi has presented an history that clarifies many of the most bitter ethnic, religious, and political conflicts that are destabilizing the world today. His writing style is compellingly readable. Some may be surprized that history can be both informative and satisfying ("entertaining" would be an inappropriate word, though it comes to mind.) This book presents an abridged chronology of world-shaping events and people. There WERE truly heroic and evil individuals behind the works of fiction such as "The Lord of the Rings" that will be recognizable to even the casual reader. The battles of good versus evil, and not-so-good versus evil, and evil versus evil, are often horrific, and are presented as such, with heroism or duplicity or incompetence presented without silly notions of moral equivalence or political correctness. You learn of the events that created the hates between Serbs and Bosnians, Turks and Greeks. I've read many books, ranging from the dry and rather detached to the hysterical, liking Thomas Sowell's "Conquests and Cultures," Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order," and the English translations of Bat Ye'or's books on Dhimmi. They won't appeal to the casual reader the way this book will, even if it is just because it contains descriptions of mayhem and a gay revolt. This book should be read because it helps define what the West is contending with today. As Huntington said on page 217, op. cit."The problem for the West is not Islamic fundamentalism, it's Islam,..." The people teaching history in high schools and colleges today don't KNOW history, or they choose to ignore it. My children have all had college-level history classes, and even in upper-division courses, were fed non-sense about the "diffusion of Islam" around the world. The latter courses were post-9-11. ... Read more

Isbn: 1573922471
Subjects:  1. Doctrines    2. Europe    3. Europe - General    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Islam    9. Islam - General    10. Islamic History    11. Islamic countries    12. Islamic fundamentalism    13. Jihad    14. Relations    15. World - General   

Islamic Fundamentalism: The New Global Threat
by Mohammad Mohaddessin, Mohammad Mohadessin
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 January, 1993)
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Reviews (7)

Recommended for those skeptical of Bush's "Evil Axis" speech
If you're looking for a thoroughly researched and documented account of the brutal zealots that have held Iran hostage for the past 23 years, look no further.Muhammed Mohadessin offers documents that clearly expose the terror that Iran's evil regime has exported and continues to export all throughout the muslim world (not to mention the West, but that's not the focus here).Highly notable is a rather detailed list of the numerous victims of the mullah's totalitarianism and violent oppressive tactics...the victims of the Iranian regime's favorite export are just as likely to be Iranians as anyone else.

Islamic Fundamentalism In Iran
Islamic Fundamentalism is the best book. It pictures the real stories with ducuoments, all whys, and hows of terrorism regime of Iran.
It opens the targets of terrorism, and some of the inhumen activities of the Iran's rulers in the past, present, and future (if the regime exist).
Khomeni and his heirs, abuse Islam and Koran. The regime use the name of Islam, but it is just the Mullahs nickname, and they actions are against Islam and Koran. The Mullahs in Iran are the Godfathers of the fundamentalism. The regime is like an encapsulated abscess within the tumor in our democratic world.
Mojahedin, the resistance of Iran, has prevented and minimized the regime's terrorist and inhuman activities. Mrs. Rajavi, the ellect president for future of Iran, a Muslem and high educated woman,is trying to overthrow the regime, and estabelish democracy and freedom. She dislike Mullahs, strongly believes freedom, human rights, and democracy.

Another excellent study of roots of the crisis in hand
The book "Islamic Fundamentalism" is an excellent addition to already published books on this subject. Mohaddessin's book originality comes from its more detailed examination of the role the Islamic regime in Tehran has played in propagating the ideology of "Islamic Fundamentalism" around the region in particular and around the globe in general. This book goes to the distressing fact that our government and we as a nation have closed our eyes to the patron of the global terrorism and Islamic Fundamentalism. It reminds us of the cold war era. That Soviets were the godfather of global communism movements. Other states such as East Germany, Yugoslavia, Cuba and many others like them supported communist movements. Once the Soviets collapsed, the rest of them collapsed as quickly as their grand patron did. According to Mohaddessin's documentation in this book, Islamic Iran is playing the same role as the Soviets did during the cold war. Being the god father and grand patron of Islamic Fundamentalists movements in the region and globally. I strongly recommend reading of this book to understand the roots of our current crisis. I find this book as an eye opener to be added to the collection of other books that has been published on this subject in the recent years. ... Read more

Isbn: 0929765222
Sales Rank: 910176
Subjects:  1. 1979-1997    2. Foreign relations    3. History - General History    4. Iran    5. Islam and politics    6. Middle East - Iran    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations   

Radical Islam : Medieval Theology and Modern Politics, Enlarged Edition
by Emmanuel Sivan
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (26 September, 1990)
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Reviews (3)

a good primer to Muslim fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism (or "radicalism" if you prefer) is not a recent development, in spite of recent events.A case could even be made that Wahabism is a strand of fundamentalism in the broader interpretation of the word.Sivan examines Islam's fundamentalist appeal in Egypt (with the "Muslim Brotherhood", the group responsible for the murder of Sadat), Islamic Jihad in Lebanon and Syria, and the briefly touches on the shi'i revolution in Iran.At the heart of each of these groups is a disaffection with the Middle East's place in the world economy, and the political notion of a "nation-state."The appeal of fundamentalism is explored, and a good introduction to the interpretations of the Qu'ran that fundamentalists find is also discussed.

However, the book is not without its shortcomings.As a reader mentioned earlier, there is a Sunni slant to the fundamentalist movement (Shi'ii's are scarcely mentioned at all, and when they are are put in a 'negative' light), and Wahahbism - perhaps the first "fundamentalist" movement within Islam is ignored entirely.Furthermore, I had hoped that some discussion would have taken place regarding "where do we go from here?"Needless to say the issues that give fundamentalist (or even "radical") groups their appeal have not changed, so the continued existence of these groups is a foregone conclusion.

It is a good introduction to the "radical" movement, but is hardly the final word or greatest authority on the topic.

Excellent, objective analysis
forcefully written, sharp, profound analysis of Fuindamentalism

An average attempt at the causality of fundamentalism.
This book fails to impress the intellectual of a reader who has a prior introduction to Islam or it's twentieth century resurgance. Although it does trace out the roots of the present day Muslim attitudes to the Islamictheology that surfaced in the twentieth century, it fails to signify thisrelativity to any degree. Ideas are repeated with a monotonous frequencywhich diminshes their collective efficiency and understanding. Strictlywritten from the Sunni Muslim fundamentalist movement's prespective, itdoes little justice to other sects of Islam - at times even specificallybranding Shia's as heretics. ... Read more

Isbn: 0300049153
Sales Rank: 607616
Subjects:  1. General    2. Middle East - General    3. Politics - Current Events    4. Politics/International Relations    5. History / Middle East   

The Two Faces of Islam : The House of Sa'ud from Tradition to Terror
by Stephen Schwartz
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Hardcover (15 October, 2002)
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Reviews (39)

"Two Faces": First four chapters and the rest
After I completed reading of this book, I have got an impression that the heyday of the great Islamic civilization is definitely over. Author very eloquently describes how Islamic cultures of the past contributed to the world progress in many different aspects such as math, medicine, philosophy and architecture. At the same time, he makes the reader believe that the face of contemporary Islam (in its infiltrated everywhere Wahhabi form) is incredibly intolerant and brutal and totally incompatible with the present day realities.

Pros: The book is very informative and contains many interesting factual details and historical perspectives: it is obvious that the author made quite extensive research across the whole corpus of Islamic written heritage from the Quran to the latest works of Bosnian clerics. The book very well depicts the world of Islam, in its past as well as in its present, as highly mosaic with multitude of very different branches and sometimes diametrically opposite understandings of such things as music or poetry. The book provides the reader with basic knowledge of the Islamic varieties that can be important for understanding of Islam. Christendom consists of Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches and a great deal of denominations; we know this fact well here in the West but general perception of Islam is that it is monolithic, usually mysterious and sometimes suspicious, religion. Author does a good job in general and historical description of Islam.

Cons: I do understand that it is really hard to write on such a topic and stay objective and not emotional, especially on such a sensitive issue as Arabic-Israeli relationship. It is hard and author understandably provides reader with his point of view, which may be very different from the point of view of others, or a reader's.
For example, the author compares the motives for jihad of contemporary mujahids and soldiers of Ottoman Empire. He asserts that Ottoman soldiers were "overwhelmingly ordinary, normal men, even when they were called by their faith, and exalted by Sufi spirituality, to combat for God". I think it is very hard to judge correctly what exactly was the driven force for Ottoman soldiers to fight Greeks, Serbs and other nations in 14-19 centuries especially taking into account the fact that many janissaries were Greeks and Serbs themselves. Also, the author speaks of ayatollah Knomeini and his passion for poetry and philosophy but does not comment anyhow a well-known fatwa against Salman Rushdi.

I would definitely recommend reading first four chapters of this book to anybody who is interested in basic knowledge of Islam in historical perspective. The rest of the book may generate some disagreement with the author's point of view and may need to be read in juxtaposition with other sources on the topic.

A Starting Point for a Discussion of Islamic Fundamentalism
Journalist Stephen Schwartz's book is a starting point for a larger discussion on Islamic fundamentalism, especially its growth and its anti-Western and anti-American aspects.It is one that certainly deserves to be read, but with a critical eye to its flaws, many of which previous reviewers have pointed to great detail.

The book begins well with a breif history of Islam and a synopsis of its major theological principles, but Schwartz does not fully explain the differences between Sunni (or traditional) Islam and Shi'a Islam.This is, however, a major shortcoming in every book I have read on Islam, including Islam by Karen Armstrong, who may the best contemporary writer on religion and religious issues.The most striking difference between the two, as it has been explained to me, is the acceptance of legitimacy of the caliphate, which is akin to saying the greatest theological difference between Catholic Christianity and Protestant Christianity is the acceptance of the authority of the papacy.Other issues, such as interpretation of Qur'an and prestige of the Hadith, are glossed over.Still, his explanation of Sufism and the doctrinal differences between the four major schools of Shariah, while brief, is quite good.

The book looses its argument as it goes along.Schwartz does well in explaining the mistaken Western perception of Wahabbism as the dominate face of Islam and the growth of that sect and the Saudi "state", which he feels is little more than land controlled by the Sa'ud family, and to which he should have rightly focused his efforts.He dilutes his argument, however, by offering Ruhollah Khomeini as the face of benevolent Shi'ism, whose fatawa calling for the assination of Salmon Rushdie for alternative interpretations Qur'an and the life of Prophet Muhammad is not even mentioned in the book, and Chechan rebels as rightious freedom fighters.The evidence linking Osama bid Ladin to Suddamn Hussein is weak.All Islamic fundamentalism is clearly not Wahhabism and cannot be grouped under the same umbrella, but that does not make it any less dangerous; Hamas and Hezbollah, regardless of differences in sources of funding, bases of operation, and ideological doctrine, all covered in great detail, are still committed to the destruction of Israel.

Schwartz's criticism of international leftism as a global conspiracy of Communism is when I knew his argument had lost steam.

Still, the criticism mentioned herein and by other reviewers, while valid, should not shy one away from reading the book, although purchasing it is another story.Schwartz writes good prose and offers extensive documentation, but clearly has a hidden political agenda (supporting the current war on terrorism).I recommend reading the book, but with a skeptical opinion as to his numerous claims.

Simplistic, Naive
The author of this book is a neo-conservative so-called expert on Islam. He doesn't speak or read Arabic. He is not a Middle East scholar. Rather than explore the complexities of Middle Eastern history or Islam, he has decided to focus on a narrow brand of Islamic fundamentalism to show how Islam is a threat to the west.

Does this sound familiar? This combination of naivite and narrow interests got the United States in the Iraq war. Readers -- American voters, for that matter -- would do well to avoid this kind of book and this kind of simplistic thinking. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385506929
Sales Rank: 221577
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Islam    6. Islam - General    7. Islamic fundamentalism    8. Islamic renewal    9. Middle East - General    10. History / Middle East