{"product_id":"the-al-qaeda-reader-the-essential-texts-of-osama-bin-ladens-terrorist-organization-paperback","title":"The Al Qaeda Reader: The Essential Texts of Osama Bin Laden's Terrorist Organization - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRaymond Ibrahim\u003c\/b\u003e (Editor)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat do our enemies believe? What motivates their war against the West? What is their vision of the ideal Islamic society? Surprisingly, more than five years after 9\/11, there is very little understanding of these questions. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDespite our tendency to dismiss Islamic extremism as profoundly irrational, al-Qaeda is not without a coherent body of beliefs. Like other totalitarian movements, the movement's leaders have rationalized their brutality in a number of published treatises. Now, for the first time, \u003ci\u003eThe Al Qaeda Reader\u003c\/i\u003e gathers together the essential texts and documents that trace the origin, history, and evolution of the ideas of al-Qaeda founders Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis extraordinary collection of the key texts of the al-Qaeda movement--including incendiary materials never before translated into English--lays bare the minds, motives, messages, and ultimate goals of an enemy bent on total victory. Al-Qaeda's chilling ideology calls for a relentless \u003ci\u003ejihad\u003c\/i\u003e against non-Muslim \"infidels,\" repudiates democracy in favor of Islamic law, stresses the importance of martyrdom, and mocks the notion of \"moderate\" Islam. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePerhaps the most disturbing aspect of these works is how grounded they are in the traditional sources of Islamic theology: the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet. The founders of al-Qaeda use these sources as powerful weapons of persuasion, reminding followers (and would-be recruits) that Muhammad and his warriors spread Islam through the power of the sword and that the Koran is not merely allegory or history but literal truth that commands all Muslims to action. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn addition to laying bare al-Qaeda's ultimate motives, \u003ci\u003eThe Al Qaeda Reader\u003c\/i\u003e includes the organization's propagandist speeches, which are directed primarily at Americans, Europeans, and Iraqis. Here, al-Qaeda's many \"official\" accusations against the West are meticulously delineated, from standard complaints such as the Palestinian issue and Iraq to wholly unexpected ones concerning the U.S.'s exploitation of women and the environment. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTaken together, the Theology and Propaganda sections of this volume reveal the most comprehensive picture of al-Qaeda to date. They also highlight the double-speak of bin Laden and Zawahiri, who often say one thing to Muslims in their religious treatises (\"We must hate and fight the West because Islam commands it\") and another in their propaganda directed at the West (\"The West is the aggressor and we are fighting back merely in self-defense\"). \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWesterners from across the political spectrum will be fascinated and enlightened by \u003ci\u003eThe Al Qaeda Reader\u003c\/i\u003e's insights into the nature of Islamic texts and the ways in which al-Qaeda has used these texts to manufacture hatred against our civilization and our way of life.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaymond Ibrahim is a historian of the Middle East and Islam. He works for the Near East section of the African and Middle Eastern division of the Library of Congress, where he discovered many of the never-before-translated Arabic texts that make up the bulk of \u003ci\u003eThe Al-Qaeda Reader\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 352\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 8.2 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 07, 2007\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52722469372237,"sku":"9780767922623","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0927\/3304\/7117\/files\/ejZKeTZlNmc0YTJEbTdOU3QwdmNzdz09.webp?v=1762487529","url":"https:\/\/belfastbooks.us\/products\/the-al-qaeda-reader-the-essential-texts-of-osama-bin-ladens-terrorist-organization-paperback","provider":"belfastbooks.us","version":"1.0","type":"link"}