Customer Reviews

Faith at War: A Journey on the Frontlines of Islam, from Baghdad to Timbuktu

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Although the author traveled throughout the Middle East during the 1990s (as a roving foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal), this book is based on his travels through various Islamic countries: Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Yemen, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Mali and Bosnia, in 2001-2004. With his knowledge of Arabic he was able to have direct talks with many Muslim leaders and civilians. He was always diligent in asking almost each individual as to why they disliked U.S. military personnel in liberating Iraq from Saddam, and why they wanted the U.S. military out of Iraq and quickly as possible. He notes how the average Saudi's income has "shrunk by as much as three-quarters in one generation." Explained why Saudi's fear the U.S. presence there to control the Middle East and keep oil prices low (okay, sounds fairly reasonable, besides the pro-democracy pitch). One Saudi holy man didn't want to talk to the author because he didn't want to "be defiled by direct contact with me." Trofimov noted how Saudi's don't like visitors, and journalists even less. Saudi's like to know which Islamic "sect" you belong to. He noted that Saudi officials don't like foreign businesses to have an "X" it their name, because it "looks too much like a Christian cross" (pg.8). Trofimov notes how Islamists dislike the Sufis. The author notes how Hindu workers who live in Saudi cannot be cremated there because the practice is barred by the Sharia; so the Hindu corpse has to be shipped out (pg.13). Non-Muslims cannot be buried in Saudi Arabia, because they would defile the land. So some are buried in the semi-secret non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah (p.14). While women can't drive cars, they can drive small dune buggies at parks. There are literally hundreds of these small, personal "snippets" that one doesn't read in U.S. newspapers; they alone are worth buying this book. The author notes how he traveled behind U.S. military forces that invaded Iraq; and the perils of driving unescorted by the military. The author discusses the road blocks, the aftermath of some of the suicide attacks, and being shot at. This is not a history book on Arabia; this is really more of a "travel adventure" book -- but of your worst nightmare: in the Iraqi combat zone. There are so many fine things to say about this book, written by an individual who "was there" during the liberation of Iraq, and one who witnessed the building frustration by some Iraqis to the American presence there. Nor to be overlooked are the findings by Trofimov about how Muslims in the other Arab countries that he visited view the American adventure into Iraq. Many, many personal anecdotes written by a reporter who got away from Baghdad's "Green Zone" to talk with the villagers.

First of all let me say: I love first-person accounts of events and activities. There is nothing more fascinating, in my opinion, than reading about the experiences that someone has endured firsthand and who is providing an interpretation of those very experiences. Even more fascinating and, for that matter, relevant, is someone who is providing us with a diary or journal about contemporary events that we are watching or reading about on the daily news via television, radio, magazines, and the newspapers. Yaroslav Trofimov, in his book "Faith at War," is doing just that.

While I may contest the author's interpretations of the experiences he has had, I cannot in good faith dispute the "facts" of his experiences. He is, so to speak, "telling it as it is and as it was," and I cannot argue with that, considering the fact he has "been there" and "done that." I have not experienced what he has, nor have I gone where he has gone. I have to listen to what he has to say, as does every reader of his book. He has, however, provided me with an insight into much which I didn't understand and which, I hope, others who read his book, can begin to understand as well.

Considering what is going on "really" in our world today, Trofimov, in his "Faith at War," does provide a window that all of us need to consider and contemplate. There is no question about the relevance of his subject. Islam and what is going on in the Middle East is important to us all. Trofimov, who covers the Middle East and Islamic culture for the "Wall Street Journal," gives us an insightful look into what is going on and what may be anticipated in that part of the world.

I think what impressed me most about Trofimov's book is the lack of an obvious political agenda, a problem which afflicts most books about the Middle East "problem" today and which he seems to deliberately avoid. His appears to be merely a "sane" account of his own experiences as those experiences occurred. While no personal narrative is completely free of some editorial position, Trofimov certainly doesn't, in my view, flaunt any particular political prejudice.

I was particularly interested in his discussion of Mali, a "democratic" country in Africa where most of the people are Muslim. This was news to me; but, then, I don't currently study African nations or society. While I was under the impression that almost every country which was Islamic was "undemocratic" by nature of the religion, it was refreshing to learn that that was not exactly true.

The journey that Trofimov takes is actually awesome. The book begins in Saudi Arabia (and he provides some information that every American needs to know), proceeds on to Tunisia ("Teaching Freud to the Mullahs," 'nuff said), then on to Yemen and Kuwait, then on to Iraq (very, very interesting to say the least), then on to Afghanistan for two chapters, ending with chapters on Lebanon, Mali (the "Muslim democracy"), and finally Bosnia (which is primarily Muslim in case you have forgotten or not watched the news for the past decade).

This book is a personal journal or diary. There is no getting around that. But it is an interesting and intriguing account from a first-rate observer of the contemporary scene. There is, in my view, no getting around that. The author also provides an interesting and valuable glossary of religious and political terms related to the subject he is discussing, an index of topics, and a number of maps so the reader can place geographical areas and regions in context. Hurray for those tools, especially for the ordinary reader who is not a specialist.

Altogether, I recommend this book just on the basis that I enjoyed reading it. Like I said, I enjoy reading first-person accounts. Maybe it's the psychology of the "vicarious" experience. Whatever, Trofimov's book is a good read and an exciting adventure and I think most readers who are interested in what's going on in our world today will like this book. Highly recommended.

This beautifully reported and written book give readers a real on-the-ground feel for how people in the Muslim world view America and how 9/11 and our intervention in Iraq have intensified feelings about American power, consumerism, and intentions. Particularly compelling are this book's insights into how religion defines so many aspects of life and how others are viewed. Even as you are disgusted at some of the abuses perpetrated on the Muslim world by its own leaders, you will be ashamed at the insensitive behavior of American soldiers and strategic mistakes that undermine the benevolent image that many Americans want to believe characterizes our efforts to "bring democracy" to the Middle East. The author does not let either side off the hook. Reading FAITH AT WAR will help readers understand why the results of the Iraq invasion fell so far from what was hoped for. This is a much-needed critical view of the Middle East from the point of view of those who live there.

I was anxious to write about this book, but the other reviewers have beat me to it.
I found this book to be as arresting as a mystery that grabs you from the first sentence, and has you wanting more at the end. I even liked the forward & the acknowledgements. The book is also a fascinating travelogue; a "you are there" war story; an easy to read & understand coverage of Islam & current politics in the Middle East; and conversations with a wide range of people - poor, rich, religeous, political, and military. It is extremely well written, and shares a gamut of emotions - had me from tears to laughter.
Read it!!!

This is a remarkable book. On one hand it is written as a travelogue that makes for pleasant reading and on the other hand it contains observations and interviews that provide a significant insight into what is happening in the Moslem world. Most of the time the author does not offer his own opinions explicitly, but lets readers draw their own conclusions. Even when he does they are mostly pointers to facts that the other side ignores. For example, when Muslims rail against the Crusaders the author reminds the reader: "Nobody in the (West) dwells on how Muslim armies, before and after the Crusades, burned and pillaged Christian towns all the way from Budapest to Bordeaux, or how lands from Tunisia to Turkey used to be Christian."

About one third of the book is devoted to Iraq (four chapters) and this part provide significant insight on what is happening and why. For example, he describes how Sunnis detonate a roadside bomb near a Shiite village and U.S. troops search for the culprits there. Some villagers are killed and now the villagers are hostile towards the U.S. His account of the events in Iraq left me with the impression that the U.S. campaign was poorly planned and several poor decisions were made afterwards. As a result, even Iraqis who were happy to see the Americans in the beginning became unfriendly, if not outright hostile, eventually.

Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan have two chapters each, while Tunisia, Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mali, and Bosnia one chapter each.

The book shows that bin-Ladden's version of Islam is not mainstream even though he would like the West to think otherwise. Western actions that ignore that distinction and are directed against all Moslems serve as a recruiting tool for al Qaeda.

The author was a colleague and friend of Daniel Pearl and there are touching references to the latter's ordeal and tragic death.

This remarkable book is Trofimov's journalistic Haj to almost every Muslim country from Bosnia to Saudi Arabia where he manages to interview every prominent Islamist, evading bullets, as history unfolds around him. Secondly, and perhaps more disturbingly, this is Trofimov's quest to understand the Islamist psyche and his analysis of why Islamists hate the West. The most surprising part of this book was that the rational part of the collective Islamist psyche, the part that the West assumes is simply masked by "extremists", is to be found in Mali! I had to check my atlas. Certainly this book will change your perspective of the post 9/11 world with a harsh dose of reality served with ceremonial roast lamb, rice and the smile factor.

Popular contemporary Islamic culture gets an airing in Yaroslav Trofimov's FAITH AT WAR, and the the non-islamic world is subject to a rude awakening 312 pages later. The author is very much a part of and participant in his inquiries into the attitudes that fuel resentment against the West and the US, whether in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan or Bosnia.

I was astonished to learn of the paranoia and proclivity to believe the wildest conspiracy theories throughout Islamic societies. Indeed, and as a validation of Trofimov, a personal friend of mine recently visited Iran with his Iranian wife. On a mountain climb above Tehran with his Iranian-American daughters, he encountered two AK-47 wielding guardians of the Islamic revolution who were keen to ply my friend with all manner of anti-semitic conspiracy theories, including the long-discredited Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the "Israeli plot" to blow up the World Trade Center. Similar notions abound in Trofimov's accounts of his travels to "the frontlines of Islam" in the wake of the September 11 Al Qaeda attacks in the US.

FAITH AT WAR is a model of engaging journalism, with its riveting insights and Trofimov's determination - even at great risk to the writer's life - to get Islamic spokesmen to speak with him, revealing their livid concerns and lurid fixations. The paperback edition comes with an updated afterword and there is a helpful glossary of terms as well. The book is a fine primer/introduction to the contradictions inherent in the contemporary global Islamic resurgence largely fueled by the fanatical, retrogressive Saudi Arabian brand of Wahabist Islam. Highly recommended.

This is a good book filled with personal experiences of a talented journalist who has travelled extensively in the arab world. It contains haunting images of people and suffering and explores the ironies and contradictions of the Arab world. One is presented with an image of a hypocritical Saudi Arabia, which uses Islam to keep its people down, and comparisons with a more secular Mali, which has found a way to reconcile modernity and religious values.

The book is unflinching in its critique of the American invasion of Iraq and the unintended consequence of the occupation. It is harrowing in its depiction of the vehemence of anti-Americanism from the wealthy suburbs of Cairo to the slums of Yemen. It create different looks at the seeming monolithic Hezbollah, unified by both public service and violent opposition to Israel.

The one drawback is that the book is totally framed by the perspective of the author. To say it is an uncomprimising look at the contradictions of Modern Islam and the failure of US foreign policy is to overlook the subjectivity of the writing. Choosing to focus on mismanagement or soldiers gloating over Arab deaths, the author ignores the nobility of others who struggle to make a positive impact. Some things in the book are taken at face value, when more thorough inspection should be required. For instance, at some point the book claims American forces shot and killed an Iraqi man for discharging his gun, thinking his house was being burglarized. How did the author arrive at this conclusion ? Ask the dead man ? The conclusion to be drawn is that Trofimov took representations of others at face value, but when Trofimov experience pro-US sentiment, he assumes it to be the result of toadying rather than genuine sentiment.

In the end, you have a well written book, containing fascinating yet selective experiences of the author. I recommend it as a fascinating journalistic travel journal, but like any journal one shaded by the authors subjective opinions.

This is great first-person journalism, an excellent accounting of what life is like in Muslim lands. Trofimov's insight into the world of the Middle East shows us that the extremists in the Muslim world are not necessarily the poor and downtrodden, or those from traditional backgrounds. Rather, it is those who, as his opening chapter point out, eat at McDonalds and test drive new Mercedes who are ironically enough the greatest haters of the West.
But Trofimov also shows us another more tolerant side of Islam when he takes us to Mali to witness an election in that country, which has been Muslim for centuries. Mali shows that Islam need not necessarily be oppressive to its adherents.
The chapters on Saudi Arabia are an excellent introduction to the country for anyone who is not familiar with it.
The book also has some great pieces of adventuring that Trofimov gets into.

I have always fantasized about being a world traveling journalist living a life of adventure and bringing my unique point of view to my readers. Alas, that is not to be. However, I certainly have a deep appreciation for up-close and personal viewpoints of world events. That's why I absolutely loved this book and devoured the entire thing in one big orgy of uninterrupted reading.

Subtitled "A Journey on the Frontlines of Islam, from Bagdad to Timbuktu", Yaroslav Trofimov, an Italian citizen, is a Wall Street Journal reporter whose knowledge of languages, including Arabic, gave him access to people and places often denied to Westerners. He wrote this book between 2001 and 2005 and his writing style is simple, personal and full of facts, history and perspective. As I turned the pages, I was right there with him as he traveled around the Islamic world talking to clerics, ordinary Muslims and heads of state about their views on the current "War On Terror" that has brought attention to their perspective and, especially in the case of Iraq, has turned their lives upside down. He visited Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Yemen, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Mali and Bosnia. That's quite a lot of places for one small book. They are all different, of course, but all share the Islamic world view, which, to my western eyes is a fresh perspective which gave me the chills as I slowly grasped the mounting significance of the present-day conflicts in all of these regions.

The clashes have been going on for thousands of years, but modern technology has accelerated the process and there is a culture class on a grand scale happening all over the world. The author devotes four full chapters to Iraq, and, to his credit, acknowledges the difficult job of American and British military personnel whose presence in the region has created a whole new set of problems for the Iraqi people who once viewed them as liberators. Those days are gone forever though. I knew all this before I read the book, of course, but it's one thing to read newspaper accounts and watch a small sound byte on CNN or Fox News. It's another thing entirely to feel I was in the shoes of this reporter, eating the food, dodging the gunfire and talking to individuals. My own sensitivities have also been stirred deeply and I know I will never quite view the Muslim world the same again.

The book is short, a mere 303 pages, but the author's skill managed to enlighten me about so much. Bosnia is very different from Timbuktu or Yemen, and sometimes it seemed as if these peoples have little in common. But the Islamic point of view is always there and very different from the Western world view. I applaud the author for clarifying this for me. Highly recommended.