Strange Words

Strange words have entered our vocabulary, borrowed from Arabic: Jihad, Wahabi, Salafi, Akbar, Dhimmi, Kuffar, Fatwa, Islam, Dar, Shia, Sunni.
Until the last few years, most of us were rather clueless about the Middle East. I would expect that the majority of us Americans still are, although a minority have tried to educate ourselves.

The first chapter of Future Jihad, by Dr. Walid Phares outlines the Historical Roots of Jihad. I have to say, unless you're a Middle Eastern scholar or a history buff, it may be rather intense, but necessary reading. Without the knowledge of Islamic history, we cannot comprehend the reasons for the war today.

Chapter one is summed up in three parts:
"....three currents emerged from the ashes of the world official boy of jihad: one that rejected it and adhered to international law; another one that ignored the debate while adhering practically to the new international community; and a third, the jihadists, which resuscitated it, reshaped its doctrines, and wages wars and conflicts in its name." p. 45

My understanding is that the third group are those who mean to harm others and also, it is different sociologically and psychologically from the other two branches of Islam.
Chapter 2 "Who Are The Jihadists?"

Dr. Walid Phares

I received a new email today, highlighting Dr. Phares in tonight's special about Radical Islam on Fox News. The following is an excerpt:

"Islamism and Jihadism"

Terrorism expert Walid Phares will appear on Fox News special on "Radical Islamists" on Saturday at 9 PM and at midnight. The documentary, moderated by ED Hill, will feature a number of experts on radicalism and Jihadism and will air on Monday as well. Dr Phares is a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and the director of its "Future Terrorism Project."

Dr. Walid Phares

I just received an email, Dr. Walid Phares will appear at 10:35AM EST on Fox News today--2/1/07.

Walid Phares: Intro to Future Jihad

It's 9/11. Americans are asking poignant questions.
Dr. Phares reiterates these thoughts through the introduction of Future Jihad.

We all remember where we were on that ominous day, what we did, what we thought.

Dr. Phares was with his students. While most of us were in the Twilight Zone, Dr. Phares, because he'd studied the jihad phenomenon for a lifetime and had been analyzing it for twenty-five years, saw what was happening and knew who the enemy was.

That night as Americans sat glued to tv news networks, questions formed in their minds. I might add that these questions are still ongoing, as citizens attempt to resolve some issues they don't really understand.

From the Introduction, Dr. Phares lists those key questions:

"Why do they hate us?"
"Who are they?"
"What did they want to happen?"
"Why did they launch the attacks of 9/11?"
"Are they at war with us?"
"What did they want to achieve?"
"Why didn't we know about it?"
"Who obstructed our knowledge of it?"
"Are they planning on future wars?"
"Have these wars already started?"
"What can we do about them?"

Hindsight is 20/20, but I would say that Future Jihad is also 20/20. Though 9/11 is behind us, Dr. Phares's Future Jihad allows us to possibly view what's coming.

Walid Phares: Email

Before beginning this commentary on "Future Jihad", I wrote to Dr. Phares.
His book, just out this month in an international paperback version is different from the original hardcover in that it includes a new chapter titled FUTURE JIHAD: TERRORIST STRATEGIES AGAINST THE WEST. It summarizes the inclusivity of global jihad around the world.

The international paperback version also is printed under the title "Terrorist Strategies Against the West".
You can find reviews of "Future Jihad" in both English and Arabic at: Future Jihad.

For further reading regarding Dr. Phares and his work go to:
Family Security Matters Org.: Contributing Editor
World Defense Review : Columnist
Defend Democracy Org. : Senior Fellow

Here is a piece of the email, emphasizing what a year's difference has made between the 2005 hardcover and the 2006 softcover:

The new title is “Terrorist Strategies against the West. The following are adapted excerpts: WALID PHARES EXPLAINS… "During the year Future Jihad was published in America, significant developments further proved true the conclusions of the initial book. In one single year, before and after its publication a series of declarations by the Jihadists, by international leaders and by intellectuals on all sides of the conflict, signaled that the “War on Terrorism" was after all an all-out confrontation between a worldwide Web of Islamist movements and regimes on the one hand and a dispersed international community, some of which was engaged in this world war while, on the other hand, parts of it weren’t.

My first objective was to explain basic facts to the international public community: that there was an ideological current out there, aiming at world domination, which is defined as “Jihadism." The whole of Jihadism comes from two trees, one is Salafi the other is Khomeinist.
The Salafists, formed in the Sunni environment, are inspired by doctrines of the Middle Ages and have emerged in modern times as Wahhabis, the Muslim Brotherhood, Takfiris, Deobandis, Tablighi and others. They want the reestablishment of a modern day Caliphate. They feel they are the heirs of 14 centuries of history, and they reject modern international law.
The Khomeinists are the Jihadists who emerged in the Shiia community. They aim at establishing an Imamate to reunify all Muslims under their guidance in pursuit of Jihad. The books’ second objective was to show how Jihadists view the world, its modern history, its international relations, its wars, the various civilizations and how they adapt their strategies to modernity.

Chapters three, seven, eight and nine were dedicated to show the readers how the Jihadists viewed the 20th century, WWII, the Cold War, the choices they made and the different options they developed as Salafists, Wahhabis, Khumeinists, regarding the Soviets, Israel, the West, and the Muslim regions.
The bottom line was to show that there were no sheer emotional and simplistic reactions to crisis, but rather focused, integrated, and complex policies and strategic objectives. This assertion goes against the dominant theories of the past, which never went away yet, that in essence Islamist attitudes are created by Western policies.*
*Also published at World Defense Review

Walid Phares : FUTURE JIHAD

Before I read a book, I'd like to know if it's worth my time. What will I get out of it? And how can I relate to the content?

First, I look at the author. Who is he or she? What is the background of the author and why is he writing the book? This information gives me a little perspective. I suppose that's why I've always enjoyed a great biography.

Next, I open to the contents, skim for a section I might like and turn to it. Briefly reading two to three pages, I let this determine whether or not I'll actually read the entire book.

Because I'd been researching the problem of Muslim extremist proselytizing in U.S. prisons, I opened to Future Jihad to America: Jihad's Second Generation and read pp. 214-215. (See my post-- Wake Up America! ) These two pages helped confirm in my eyes the growing problem with Islamic extremism within our own country.

At home I returned to the Introduction of the book starting with Praise for Walid Phares and Future Jihad. Listed are such notable names and their remarks as Rick Hahn,Former FBI Terrorism Expert and Col. Rick Francona, Retired Intelligence Officer, among others.

A section often skipped by readers, Acknowledgments, tells readers that Dr. Phares values his family, mentioning his brother, mother, sister, and his late father. Dr. Phares writes, "...beyond the frontiers of life, I owe to my late father my constant desire to bring truth to people. He taught and conviced me that truth brings justice; he used to say: 'Bring knowledge around you, that's your mission.' "
A true life's mission statement for the purpose of assisting us readers, who so desperately need to understand the Jihadist world. For us Future Jihad is a prerequisite.

Next post--Dr. Phares, his works, some background. See links in right column.

What I'm Reading

Recently I've been reading a non-fiction book by Dr. Walid Phares titled "Future Jihad".
I suggest you pick up a copy, you'll find information inside that you haven't even thought about.