God's Terrorists: The Wahhabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad [Hardcover]

Charles Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2006

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. As the Wahhabi teaching spread in the nineteenth century, first, to the Arabian peninsula, and then, to the region around the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, their followers brought with them a vicious brand of political ideology and militant conflict. The Wahhabi deeply influenced the rulers of modern Saudi Arabia and their establishment of a strict Islamic code. A more militant expression of Wahhabism took root in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where fierce tribes have waged holy war for almost two hundred years. The ranks of the Taliban and al-Qaeda today are filled with young men who were taught the Wahhabi theology of Islamic purity while rifles were pressed into their hands for the sake of jihad. God's Terrorists sheds shocking light on the historical roots of modern terrorism and shows how this dangerous theology lives on today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British author Allen (Soldier Sahibs) 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. Carefully drawing distinctions between mainstream Islam and the fanaticism that spawned al-Qaeda (which he calls "as much a threat to Islam as to the West"), Allen goes back to the 18th-century founding of Wahhabism, a strain of Islam fostered in the Arabian desert that now serves as the Saudi state religion. Fixated on removing any hint of deviation from their interpretation of Muhammad's teachings, violent Wahhabists have traditionally killed more Muslims than non-Muslims. A Central Asia expert, Allen focuses on the form of Wahhabism that developed against the backdrop of waning British imperialism in that area, gradually leading up to Osama bin Laden's arrival. But his rapid-fire account is littered with names and battles, explaining little about how an ideology always rejected by most Muslims, and whose proponents were nearly annihilated on many occasions, managed to survive so spectacularly. Nor does he explain why Wahhabists' anger has shifted from supposed infidels in their midst to citizens of the West. (Sept.)
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About the Author

Charles Allen is an acknowledged authority on British Indian and South Asian history. His most recent books include Soldier Sahibs and The Buddha and the Sahibs. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1St Edition edition (August 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306815222
• ISBN-13: 978-0306815225
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,539,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A warning to Western Civilization - the roots of terror, January 3, 2007

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Concerned about our future "In memory of J. G... (NJ) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: God's Terrorists: The Wahhabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad (Hardcover)

Interesting historical look at the spread of radical Islam throughout colonial India and its ties back to the rise of radical Islamic theology in the declining Ottoman Empire. It exposes roots to terrorist movements like al Qaeda and ties the roots of this radical movement to the House of Saud like few other accounts have.

There are clearly lessons to be learned here and insights about what the West is up against - particular in this region of the world where Bin Laden is believed to be given safe-harbored but I was completely let down by the author's brief and poorly argued conclusion. It seemed thrown-in as an after thought.

Otherwise it was a fascinating historical read that I would highly recommend.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gods Terrorists: The Wahabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad, January 26, 2009

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Phil C. Billerwell (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: God's Terrorists: The Wahhabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad (Hardcover)

The subject appealed but I found this book to be more a History of the the British and their problems with the various Muslum sects in India up until the mid 1900' rather than what I expected from the title.

It does however give the historical background as to how the Wahabi's commenced and their link, from the early past to the present day, of their strong links, and control to some extent, with the house of Saud.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars God's Terrrorists, February 22, 2009

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Ohgahd (Seattle) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: God's Terrorists: The Wahhabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad (Hardcover)

Don't be confused by a previous review. Terrorism and Wahhabism are indeed synonymous. That terrorism is currently being played out by the spawn: Taliban and al-Qaeda. This is a well-researched book albeit it a difficult read for the novice of Islam. If you are curious about how our civilization got into this mess, read this accounting of Muslim history. The reading has left me frustrated about how global terrorism will ever be conquered because of this fundamentalism rooted in Wahhabi teachings. Take young men, send them to Wahabbi madrassahs, teach them to administer sharia law to include beheading and mutilation of the apostate and infidel populations with a goal of martyrdom and you come up with the challenge of the 21st century!