The Wahhabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad
by Charles Allen
Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2006
192 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
An important study of the little-known history of the Wahhabi, a fundamentalist Islamic tribe whose teachings influence today's extreme Islamic terrorists, including the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.
In today's post-9/11 world, the everyday news shows us images of fanatic fighters and suicide bombers willing to die in holy war, martyrs for jihad. But what are the roots of this militant fundamentalism in the Muslim world? In this insightful and wide-ranging history, Charles Allen finds an answer in the eighteenth-century reform movement of Muhammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers—the Wahhabi—who sought the restoration of Islamic purity and declared violent jihad on all who opposed them, Moslems and pagans alike.
God's Terrorists sheds shocking light on the historical roots of modern terrorism and shows how this dangerous theology lives on today.
"British author Allen argues persuasively that violent Islamic extremism isn't as new as we might think, but unfortunately, his book doesn't do much to explain the phenomenon." - PW.
"This narrative has a grafted-on feel, but it is still of use to those seeking to understand the origins and growth of Islamic extremism." - Kirkus.
"Allen takes us back to the emergence of violent Wahhabism in the 1740s…Completely riveting." - The Guardian.
This information about God's Terrorists was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Fruiting Bodies
by Kathryn Harlan
A genre-bending debut collection of stories full of desire, wisdom, and magic blooming amidst decay.
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden
by Zhuqing Li
A beautifully woven family memoir that coalesces into a vivid history of two very different Chinas.
Win a signed copy of Where the Crawdads Sing
In celebration of the movie release on July 15, we have three signed copies to give away.
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
