JOURNEY INTO THE MIND OF AN ISLAMIC TERR [Paperback]

Another fine book by a former professor of Islamic history at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. This Egyptian author memorized the Muslim's holy book: the Koran/Quran in Arabic, but later questioned Islam's validity and converted to Christianity. Thus, the author brings that rare insight of a former Muslim believer in explaining the little-understood underpinnings of Islamic beliefs. Rather than exploring the what, where, when and how of Islamic suicide-bent terrorists, the author details what is behind the "why" of their Islamikaze justifications that they have found in their Muslim beliefs. The author either translates or researches translations of the speeches or documents of the Al-Quida leaders and explains their relevance in noting how the Islamic terrorists trace their theological and political concepts to Mohammad and the Quran. Following are some of this book's topics: The Constitution of Al-Jihad; Inner conflict; Hasan al-Banna spreads the Great Awakening; the relationship between Qutb and Mawdudi; Dr. Salah Sariah: Proving Apostasy; Shokri Mustafa: Separation from infidels; Bin Laden: Finding jihad in Afghanistan; Al-Zawahiri: Al-Qaeda's key recruiter; 1998 Fatwa against Jews and Crusaders; Bin Laden's Letter to America--2002; Justifying Unintended victims of suicide bombings; What binds radical groups together; The Five Pillars of Radical Islamic Philosophy: (1) No law but Islamic law, (2) Infidels are all around, (3) Islam must rule, (4) Jihad is the only way to win, (5) Faith is the Reason; Deception: An art of war practiced by radicals; Al-Zawahiri's teachings on deceit; Muhammad: Uncensored (a) cooperation and tolerance, (b) the book of jihad, (c) the next stage; The unrelenting bloodbath: (details the warfare between various Muslim sects -- the Umayyads v. the Abbasids); the importance of the Muslim scholar Ibn Taymiyyah (how he is the link between Muhammad and today's Islamikazes); the relevance of the militant booklet 'River of Memories'; and how the 'Silent Muslim Majority' opposes the Islamic militants -- at least in not flocking to them. The author explores the Muslim mind in explaining how today's Islamikaze's justify their terrorist attacks based upon the military campaigns of Mohammad against the Jewish and Christian 'unbelievers.' The author notes how Islamikazes today look to Ibn Taymiyyah's (c. 1300 A.D.) writings and "conclude that if a government refuses any part of Islamic law, then that government has chosen to follow man instead of Allah. Therefore, whether that government claims to be Muslim or not, it must be fought" (p.147). The author claims that Ibn Taymiyyah's philosophy of Islam was used by Sayyid Qutb's Egyptian Brotherhood to justify its assassination of President Anwar Sadat and used by Osama bin Laden (c.1990-2006 A.D.) to justify his attacks against the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, the United States, as well as the 'Crusader' attempts in Iraq to establish democracy there. The author argues that hard-core Muslims fear the 'democracy of the secularists' -- as the public might not really be all that enamored with the painful punishments for sinful crimes that are mandated in the Quran. The author does a fine job in tracing the linkage of the theological history of the Islamikazes from Mohammad, to Ibn Taymiyyah, to the Egyptian Brotherhood and finally to those following the Quran's "straight path" as traveled by bin Laden and his cohorts: Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu M. al-Zarqawi. Liberal and moderate Muslims won't like this book as the author illuminates how the Quran begat today's Islamikazes, which is why fundamentalist Muslims should like this book as it propagates their militant strategy. (Okay, one critique: the author could have used more footnotes to his hadith quotations.)

Since 9/11 we in the United States and the West have come full circle. For years we looked at events in the Middle East as just something happening "over there" but now we know that Islamic terrorist want nothing more than the entire world to be under the control of an Islamic government. Dr. Mark Gabriel's book solidifies that point.

In this work Gabriel does a good job of presenting what it is that Islamic terrorist really want. It has nothing to do with money, or with Iraq, Iran, or even with the United States itself but with Islam. Gabriel, a former Muslim cleric, knows from his own first hand experience what goes on in the minds of sincere Muslims who desire to obey the Qu'ran and live their lives after "the Prophet."

The book does a good job of presenting facts from the writings of Muslim clerics and radicals themselves as well as from the Qu'ran and the Hadiths. He also presents biblical teachings against Islam.

Overall this is a solid work. For Christians desiring to know more about Islam see his other works. For better understanding of what Islamic terrorist think and why they do what they do, read this book.

This is an insider's look into the Muslim world. I don't think he bashes the Muslim faith, but it does provide an understanding of their teaching, faith, rules, goals, and beliefs.

It was nice to read something that was not second hand knowledge.

It is a very quick read.