The Fox Hunt

From the most unlikely of places, and in response to the most desperate of needs, comes a riveting tale of redemption. Four Millennials stare at their iPhones. They've been glued to Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, and Skype for the past six hours. But they're not posting holiday photos, watching cat videos, or typing up 140-character reviews of local brunch spots. They're orchestrating a daredevil rescue operation that's taking place halfway across the world. Within thirty minutes, they'll learn if they've saved the life of a young Muslim-Yemeni peace activist - or if he's been shot, execution-style, by Al Qaeda operatives. Who is this man? What made him stop dreaming of mowing down Israelis with an AK-47 and start devoting his life to inter-faith dialogue? And how did he get involved with three Jews and an agnostic woman living in New York, San Francisco, and Tel Aviv? It all starts with a book - the Torah. Whilst Yemen crumbles in an all-out inter-Arab war between Iran and a ten-country coalition led by Saudi Arabia, Mohammed puts his faith, and his one shot at freedom, in the hands of a rag-tag group of Facebook friends he barely knows. Near-strangers to one another, with exactly zero experience in extraction or military strategy, the team of four turns to the only tool or tactic they have: social media. As the clock ticks to the rhythm of RPGs, the amateur intelligence agents crowd-source escape routes and activate their networks to petitions Senators, Congressmen, NGOs, and foreign governments to help save Mohammed from certain death. In this unforgettable story, weak ties become strong bonds as ordinary people come together to accomplish the extraordinary. A real-life survival story, The Fox Hunt is a journey of faith, family, indoctrination, intellectual curiosity, technology, and the most unlikely of friendships. The book has been optioned for a feature film by Fox 2000, to be produced by La La Land's Marc Platt and to be adapted by the Oscar Award-winning screenwriter of Spotlight, Josh Singer.

About the author

Mohammed Al Samawi, a Zaydi Shiaa Muslim, was born on 30 November 1986 in the old Yemeni city of Sanaa. Brought up to believe that the Jews were responsible for all his people's troubles, his life changed when he read the Old Testament, friended Jews in Israel, and joined social-action groups aimed at promoting dialogue between Muslims and Jews. Soon, he started receiving death threats from his compatriots, and when he fled to the southern city of Aden he found himself caught up in a brutal civil war. Trapped and desperate, he could find no one would help him, until strangers from overseas pitched in and eventually saved his life. He escaped to the United States, where he now lectures widely to promote inter-faith relations.

Summary

A breathtaking escape story that reveals the power of technology to connect people across cultures with life-saving results.


Growing up in Yemen, Mohammed Al Samawi was smart, bookish, and committed to his faith. He had little interest in the non-Muslim world, beyond an intense hostility to Islam’s enemies.


All that changed when a teacher lent him a copy of the Bible, sparking his interest in other faiths. Venturing online, he began to connect with people of different cultures from all around the world, and started the improbable journey from dreaming of taking vengeance on the ‘infidels’ to devoting his life to inter-faith dialogue.


But then Yemen crumbled into war. Trapped and alone under bombardment, he managed to get online and put his life in the hands of a rag-tag group of Facebook friends he barely knew. Near-strangers to each another, with zero experience in military strategy, the team of four, spanning New York, San Francisco, and Tel Aviv, achieved the seemingly impossible. They crowd-sourced escape routes and activated their networks to help save Mohammed from certain death.

The Fox Hunt is an exhilarating real-life survival story of faith, curiosity, and the power of human connection in the face of conflict.

Foreword

A breath-taking escape story that reveals the power of technology to connect people across cultures with life-saving results.

Additional text

‘Mohammed Al Samawi’s page-turning memoir, The Fox Hunt, is an unforgettable odyssey through Yemen, and the rocky terrain of religion, identity, and power. Caught in the most desperate of circumstances, he shows us the unexpected heroism of regular people, and gives us the courage to confront prejudice and take action.’

Product details

• Authors: Mohammed Al Samawi, Mohammed Al Samawi
• Publisher: Scribe Publications
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.04.2018
• EAN: 9781911344988
• ISBN: 978-1-911344-98-8
• Subjects: Non-fiction book; Biography: general, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Social Activists, True war & combat stories, military history, RELIGION / Ecumenism & Interfaith, HISTORY / Military / Strategy, ecumenism, True stories of heroism, endurance & survival, Interfaith relations