| Description |
xxxii, 318 pages ; 21 cm |
| Contents |
Al-Qaeda's declaration of war against Americans. -- Part I. Theology. -- "Moderate Islam is a prostration to the West" -- "Loyalty and enmity" -- "Sharia and democracy" -- "Jihad, martyrdom, and the killing of innocents." -- Part II. Propaganda. -- Ayman al-Zawahiri interview four years after 9/11. -- Messages to the Americans -- "Osama bin Laden's oath to America" -- " 'Why we are fighting you' : Osama bin Laden's letter to Americans" -- "Israel, oil, and Iraq" -- "Your fate is in your hands alone" -- "Bin Laden's truce offer to the Americans" -- "I am among the Muslim masses." -- Messages to the Europeans -- "To the allies of the United States" -- "Osama bin Laden's peace treaty offer to the Europeans" -- "Ayman al-Zawahiri berates the Queen of England." -- Messages to the Iraqis -- "To the Muslims of Iraq" -- To the Muslims of Iraq II." -- Themes -- The Afghan-Soviet paradigm : the myth of the superpower and U.S. cowardice -- The youth of Islam : Jihad and martyrdom -- A crusade -- The Zionist lobby -- The price of American democracy |
| Summary |
"Gathers together the essential texts and documents that trace the origin, history, and evolution of the ideas of Al Qaeda founders Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden"--Provided by publisher |
|
"What do our enemies believe? What motivates their war against the West? What is their vision of the ideal Islamic society? Surprisingly, more than five years after 9/11, there is very little understanding of these questions. Despite our tendency to dismiss Islamic extremism as profoundly irrational, al-Qaeda is not without a coherent body of beliefs. Like other totalitarian movements, the movement's leaders have rationalized their brutality in a number of published treatises. Now, for the first time, The Al Qaeda Reader gathers together the essential texts and documents that trace the origin, history, and evolution of the ideas of al-Qaeda founders Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden. This extraordinary collection of the key texts of the al-Qaeda movement--including incendiary materials never before translated into English--lays bare the minds, motives, messages, and ultimate goals of an enemy bent on total victory. Al-Qaeda's chilling ideology calls for a relentless jihad against non-Muslim "infidels," repudiates democracy in favor of Islamic law, stresses the importance of martyrdom, and mocks the notion of "moderate" Islam. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of these works is how grounded they are in the traditional sources of Islamic theology: the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet. The founders of al-Qaeda use these sources as powerful weapons of persuasion, reminding followers (and would-be recruits) that Muhammad and his warriors spread Islam through the power of the sword and that the Koran is not merely allegory or history but literal truth that commands all Muslims to action. Westerners from across the political spectrum will be fascinated and enlightened by The Al Qaeda Reader's insights into the nature of Islamic texts and the ways in which al-Qaeda has used these texts to manufacture hatred against our civilization and our way of life."--Back cover |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Subject |
Ẓawāhirī, Ayman
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Bin Laden, Osama, 1957-2011
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Bin Laden, Osama, 1957-2011. |
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Ẓawāhirī, Ayman. |
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Qaida (Organization)
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Qaida (Organization) |
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Jihad
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Islam and politics
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Terrorism -- Religious aspects -- Islam
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War on Terrorism, 2001-2009
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International relations.
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Islam and politics.
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Jihad.
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Terrorism -- Religious aspects -- Islam.
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United States -- Relations -- Islamic countries
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Islamic countries -- Relations -- United States
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Islamic countries.
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United States.
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| Author |
Ibrahim, Raymond, editor, translator
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Hanson, Victor Davis, writer of introduction
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Ẓawāhirī, Ayman
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Bin Laden, Osama, 1957-2011
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| LC no. |
2007278987 |
| ISBN |
9780767922623 |
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076792262X |
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