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

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. Br> God's Terrorists : The Wahhabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad by Allen, Charles Terms of use 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. Descriptive content provided by Syndetics"! a Bowker service What Are The Roots Of Today's Militant Fundamentalism In The Muslim World? In This Insightful And Wide-ranging History, Charles Allen Finds An Answer In An 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. The Wahhabi Teaching Spread Rapidly-first Throughout The Arabian Peninsula, Then To The Indian Subcontinent, Where A More Militant Expression Of Wahhabism Flourished. The Ranks Of Today's Taliban And Al-qaeda Are Filled With Young Men Trained In Wahhabi Theology. God's Terrorists Sheds Much-needed Light On The Origins Of Modern Terrorism And Shows How This Dangerous Ideology Lives On Today.--publisher's Website. Introduction: 'am I Not A Pakhtun?' -- Death Of A Commissioner -- The Puritan Of The Desert -- The False Dawn Of The Imam-mahdi -- The Call Of The Imam-mahdi -- The Early Summer Of 1857 -- The Late Summer Of 1857 -- The Ambeyla Disaster -- The Wahabees On Trial -- The Frontier Ablaze -- The Brotherhood -- The Coming Together -- The Unholy Alliance -- Leading Muslim Personalities -- Appendix 1: The Roots Of The Al-saud -- Al-wahhab Family Alliance -- Appendix 2: The 'wahhabi' Family Tree In India. Charles Allen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [320]-331), Glossary And Index. Contents 8 Maps viii 9 Preface to the US Paperback Edition ix 10 Preface to the First Edition xiii 14 Acknowledgements xv 16 Introduction: ‘Am I not a Pakhtun?’ 1 20 Chapter 1 Death of a Commissioner 23 42 Chapter 2 The Puritan of the Desert 42 61 Chapter 3 The False Dawn of the Imam-Mahdi 69 88 Chapter 4 The Call of the Imam-Mahdi 92 111 Chapter 5 The Early Summer of 1857 118 145 Chapter 6 The Late Summer of 1857 139 166 Chapter 7 The Ambeyla Disaster 161 188 Chapter 8 The Wahabees on Trial 185 212 Chapter 9 The Frontier Ablaze 212 239 Chapter 10 The Brotherhood 234 269 Chapter 11 The Coming Together 260 295 Chapter 12 The Unholy Alliance 289 324 Leading Muslim personalities 298 333 Appendix 1: The roots of the Al-Saud–Al-Wahhab family alliance 304 339 Appendix 2: The ‘Wahhabi’ family tree in India 306 341 Glossary 308 343 Bibliography 320 355 Index 332 367 A compelling-and timely-history of the Wahhabi, a fundamentalist Islamic sect whose teachings today influence Osama bin Laden and the Taliban