Journey into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Journey into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist is a 2006 book (Front Line, 216p, ISBN 1591857139) by the self-described apostate, Mark A. Gabriel, a former professor of Islamic history and lecturer at Al-Azhar University in Cairo who said he was fired, arrested and tortured after questioning Islamic practices; he eventually converted to Christianity, although the details of his biography are disputed.
[edit] Content
The back cover[1] of the book describes:
"Dr. Mark Gabriel makes a major breakthrough by identifying the five pillars of radical philosophy—the bedrock beliefs that cut through all radical writings. Dr. Gabriel uses the writings of Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri,and others to show how terrorists justify their actions through the Quran, the life of Muhammad, and Islamic history. Finally, Dr. Gabriel describes how earlier terrorist groups were stopped and shows how the world can work together to stop the terrorists of today. Ignorance is no ally in the struggle against Islamic terrorism. Go beyond what is happening and find out why it is happening."
[edit] Reviews
Jim Westgate of MBBiblical Seminary praised the book:
"Dr. Gabriel’s vast knowledge of the history and philosophy of Islam equips him to provide a historical overview of the major radical and fundamentalist movements in Islam. He provides insights that will help you understand the front-page headlines concerning Hezbollah, Hamas and Al-Qaeda’s strategies in terrorism. In the final chapters, he advocates peace and dialogue."[2]
Sharyl N. Cross, writing in the military science journal Connections (published by the ETH Zurich), called the book:
"...an excellent summary of the contributions of the influence of (Jihadist) writings in the development of Islamist radicalism".[3]
Mirza Asmer Beg of the Islamic online periodical Future Islam criticized the book as "a work intended at spreading hatred against Islam", and questioned the author's identity and academic bona-fides:
"He conceals his erstwhile Muslim identity on the flimsy pretext that his family members would be at the receiving end of the ire of radicals in Egypt. Even if one accepts this, one fails to understand the reasons behind the concealment of his present identity, his present assignment and position. What basis has he to fear the Americans or the West, when he dedicates this book to George Bush, Tony Blair, the coalition forces in Iraq, the CIA and FBI."[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Back-cover description of contents
- ^ Recommended Reading, Spring/Summer 2007, In Touch Magazine
- ^ [1] Sharyl Cross, "U.S./NATO-Russia and Countering Ideological Support for Terrorism: Toward Building a Comprehensive Strategy"], v5.4 Winter Supplement 2006, Connections: The Quarterly Journal
- ^ Review, Jan 1, 2007, Future Islam
