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Militant Islamic fundamentalists blame the ills of their societies on the West, calling for the overthrow of local governments and the resumption of Jihad against the Infidels. Ambassador Hoveyda explores the historical and contemporary causes of the current wave of militant Islamic fundamentalism. If Western colonization and economic domination of the 19th and 20th centuries are to be blamed for the predicament of Muslim countries, Hoveyda asserts that Muslims also bear a great responsibility for their situation.
This book shows how the triumph of fundamentalist interpretations of the Koran in the 12th century triggered the gradual decline of Islamic civilization and chronicles the history of militant Islamic movements, from the Assassins of the late 11th century to the reign of Ayatollah Khomeini. It shows why, despite their terrorist attacks in the West, fundamentalists are even more dangerous for Muslim countries that are desperately trying to catch up with the global economy to alleviate their accumulated social and economic problems. Hoveyda draws upon a lifetime of experience, as well as scholarship and the experiences of others, to provide an important insider/outsider examination of a worldwide concern.
List of contents
Introduction
First Encounter with a Militant
The Iranian Connection
The Community of Devoted Fighters
The Beads and the Bullets
Some Precursors
The Turning Point
Fundamentalism Forever
The Islamic State
Fundamentalist Agendas
Enter Khomeini
Theologian and Tactician
The Kindling of the Revolution
The Party of God
The Stretching Shadow
Causes of Militant Fundamentalism
The Broken Crescent
The Case Against the West
The "Great Satan"
A Global Danger?
Holy War (Jihad)
A Clash of Civilizations?
Preparing for the "Final Round"
Can Militant Islamic Fundamentalism Succeed?
A Challenge to the West and the World?
Conclusion: The "Past Shock"
Bibliography
Index
About the author
FEREYDOUN HOVEYDA is Senior Fellow with the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. He also is a former Iranian Ambassador to the UN (1971-1978). A widely published author of fiction and nonfiction, his Les neiges du Sinai won the Leopold Senghor Award in 1973.
