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A leading publisher of academic, reference, trade,
general interest, and professional books
Auburn House | Bergin & Garvey |
Greenwood Press | Praeger | Quorum | GP Subscription Publications
The Broken Crescent
Militant Islamic fundamentalists blame the ills of their societies on the West and call
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. Despite their terrorist attacks in
the West, he also shows why fundamentalists are even more dangerous for Muslim countries
that are desperately trying to catch up with the incipient global economy and alleviate
their accumulated social and economic problems.
If Western colonization and economic domination of the 19th and 20th centuries are to be
blamed for the predicament of Muslim countries, Hoveyda points out that Muslims also bear
a great responsibility for their situation. He shows how the triumph of fundamentalist
interpretations of the Koran in the 12th century triggered the gradual decline of Islamic
civilization. He also chronicles the history of militant Islamic movements of the past and
present from the "Assassins" of the late 11th century to Ayatollah Khomeini.
Having met his first militant Islamic fundamentalist at the age of four in Syria, where
his father was serving as Persian Consul-general, Hoveyda draws upon a lifetime of
personal experience as well as scholarship and experiences of others to provide an
important insider/outsider examination of a worldwide concern.
-- 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
FEREYDOUN HOVEYDA is Senior Fellow with the National Committee on
American Foreign Policy.
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