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Homegrown Hate: Why White Nationalists and Militant Islamists Are Waging War against the United States
CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title, 2022
To better understand current events and threats, this book outlines the organizations and beliefs of domestic terrorists in the United States and how to counter their attacks on American democracy.
Who are the American citizens—White nationalists and militant Islamists—perpetrating acts of terrorism against their own country? What are their grievances and why do they hate? How can this transnational peril be effectively addressed?
Homegrown Hate is a groundbreaking and deeply researched work that directly compares White nationalists and militant Islamists in the United States. In this timely book, scholar and holistic justice activist Sara Kamali examines these Americans’ self-described beliefs, grievances, and rationales for violence, and details their organizational structures within a transnational context. She presents compelling insight into the most pressing threat to homeland security not only in the United States, but in nations across the citizens who are targeting their homeland according to their respective narratives of victimhood. She also explains the hate behind the headlines and provides the tools to counter this hate from within, cogently offering hope in uncertain and divisive times. Innovative and engaging, this is an indispensable resource for all who cherish equity and justice in the United States and around the world.
To better understand current events and threats, this book outlines the organizations and beliefs of domestic terrorists in the United States and how to counter their attacks on American democracy.
Who are the American citizens—White nationalists and militant Islamists—perpetrating acts of terrorism against their own country? What are their grievances and why do they hate? How can this transnational peril be effectively addressed?
Homegrown Hate is a groundbreaking and deeply researched work that directly compares White nationalists and militant Islamists in the United States. In this timely book, scholar and holistic justice activist Sara Kamali examines these Americans’ self-described beliefs, grievances, and rationales for violence, and details their organizational structures within a transnational context. She presents compelling insight into the most pressing threat to homeland security not only in the United States, but in nations across the citizens who are targeting their homeland according to their respective narratives of victimhood. She also explains the hate behind the headlines and provides the tools to counter this hate from within, cogently offering hope in uncertain and divisive times. Innovative and engaging, this is an indispensable resource for all who cherish equity and justice in the United States and around the world.
440 pages, Hardcover
Published April 6, 2021
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143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 1, 2024
An extremely timely and important book, Sara Kamali’s “Homegrown Hate: Why White Nationalists and Militant Islamists Are Waging War Against the United States” is dense with information; practically an info-dump of anything and everything having to do with domestic terrorism. (One-third of the book is endnotes, sources, and bibliography.) Yet despite its disturbing subject matter and the sheer amount of academic (albeit fascinating) information, the book manages to still be readable and engaging.
One of the more disturbing take-aways is that White Nationalist extremists do as much, if not more, damage (loss of life, property damage, stress on the system and individuals) in this country than their American-born Militant Islamist counterparts, but, due to the fact that there is, technically, no federal ordinance against domestic terrorists, especially if they are white or Christian, very few are punished as severely as terrorists who happen to be Muslim. (Another win for white privilege! Yay!)
So, the terrorists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, with the intent of overthrowing the government and torturing and killing government employees and officials, can’t, technically, be branded domestic terrorists. At least, not officially, since there is no federal criminal statute for it. This should make anyone who witnessed the horrific events of that day (and NOT the “high fives and hugs” that the Republicans witnessed through their bullshit-tinted glasses) feel sick to their stomach.
Why does this matter? After all, it’s essentially just semantics, right?
Wrong.
The differences between being branded a “domestic terrorist” and a “homegrown violent extremist”, according to the language of the respective federal ordinances, are subtle, but it boils down to the fact that a person is a homegrown violent extremist and NOT a domestic terrorist if, and only if, that person has ties (directly or indirectly) to a militant Islamist organization. So, because the Proud Boys didn’t receive funding or moral support from ISIS, they are not, technically, terrorists. Even if they are. Make sense?
Here’s some eye-opening stats (from the United States Government Accountability Office… and, yes, I’m just as surprised that such an office even exists, too):
“In ten of the fifteen years, fatalities resulting from attacks by far right wing violent extremists exceeded those caused by radical Islamist violent extremists.
“In three of the fifteen years, fatalities resulting from attacks by far right wing violent extremists were the same as those caused by violent radical Islamist extremists.
“Of the eighty-five violent extremist incidents that resulted in death, far right wing violent extremist groups were responsible for sixty-two (73 percent).
“Of the eighty-five violent extremist incidents that resulted in death, violent radical Islamist extremists were responsible for twenty-three (27 percent).”
In case you need it spelled out for you, those sentences are basically saying that, statistically, white Christian assholes are far more violent than brown-skinned Muslim assholes. But let’s be honest: this is like saying that Donald Trump’s penis is uglier than his ballsack.
White Nationalists and Militant Islamists actually have way more in common than one would think:
They both absolutely hate the U.S. government. Kamali gives detailed histories of both movements. Interestingly, using a straight line from Ruby Ridge to Waco, TX to Timothy McVeigh to January 6, she succinctly demonstrates how White Nationalists are overwhelmingly anti-U.S. government. Equally, due to a lot of history that the U.S. was a part of that has shaped (in a pretty bad way) the turmoil in the Middle East, Militant Islamists are vehemently anti-U.S. government, as well.
They both absolutely hate and want to kill anyone who doesn’t share their beliefs. For White Nationalists, anybody who is non-white (and, for the most part, non-Christian) are simply in the way of their goals. Likewise, Militant Islamists just want to kill everyone who is not Muslim. To be fair, both these groups are using very perverted interpretations of Christianity and Islam, but, hey, it’s all good because
They both want to establish a perfect Utopian World government. The problem is White Nationalists want an all-white Christian theocracy, and the Militant Islamists want a Muslim-only theopolity. Awkward!
Kamali’s book gives very in-depth explanations of concepts and terms that many people have heard but may not understand, like the Fourteen Words, RAHOWA, White Genocide, Christian Identity, Creativity, Wotanism, Al-wala, Wa-l-bara, Takfir, Jihad. Trust me, you will know what all of that shit means by the end of the book.
In light of recent events in the Israel-Palestine War and in light of January 6, 2021, Kamali’s book is an important and useful primer on terrorism.
One of the more disturbing take-aways is that White Nationalist extremists do as much, if not more, damage (loss of life, property damage, stress on the system and individuals) in this country than their American-born Militant Islamist counterparts, but, due to the fact that there is, technically, no federal ordinance against domestic terrorists, especially if they are white or Christian, very few are punished as severely as terrorists who happen to be Muslim. (Another win for white privilege! Yay!)
So, the terrorists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, with the intent of overthrowing the government and torturing and killing government employees and officials, can’t, technically, be branded domestic terrorists. At least, not officially, since there is no federal criminal statute for it. This should make anyone who witnessed the horrific events of that day (and NOT the “high fives and hugs” that the Republicans witnessed through their bullshit-tinted glasses) feel sick to their stomach.
Why does this matter? After all, it’s essentially just semantics, right?
Wrong.
The differences between being branded a “domestic terrorist” and a “homegrown violent extremist”, according to the language of the respective federal ordinances, are subtle, but it boils down to the fact that a person is a homegrown violent extremist and NOT a domestic terrorist if, and only if, that person has ties (directly or indirectly) to a militant Islamist organization. So, because the Proud Boys didn’t receive funding or moral support from ISIS, they are not, technically, terrorists. Even if they are. Make sense?
Here’s some eye-opening stats (from the United States Government Accountability Office… and, yes, I’m just as surprised that such an office even exists, too):
“In ten of the fifteen years, fatalities resulting from attacks by far right wing violent extremists exceeded those caused by radical Islamist violent extremists.
“In three of the fifteen years, fatalities resulting from attacks by far right wing violent extremists were the same as those caused by violent radical Islamist extremists.
“Of the eighty-five violent extremist incidents that resulted in death, far right wing violent extremist groups were responsible for sixty-two (73 percent).
“Of the eighty-five violent extremist incidents that resulted in death, violent radical Islamist extremists were responsible for twenty-three (27 percent).”
In case you need it spelled out for you, those sentences are basically saying that, statistically, white Christian assholes are far more violent than brown-skinned Muslim assholes. But let’s be honest: this is like saying that Donald Trump’s penis is uglier than his ballsack.
White Nationalists and Militant Islamists actually have way more in common than one would think:
They both absolutely hate the U.S. government. Kamali gives detailed histories of both movements. Interestingly, using a straight line from Ruby Ridge to Waco, TX to Timothy McVeigh to January 6, she succinctly demonstrates how White Nationalists are overwhelmingly anti-U.S. government. Equally, due to a lot of history that the U.S. was a part of that has shaped (in a pretty bad way) the turmoil in the Middle East, Militant Islamists are vehemently anti-U.S. government, as well.
They both absolutely hate and want to kill anyone who doesn’t share their beliefs. For White Nationalists, anybody who is non-white (and, for the most part, non-Christian) are simply in the way of their goals. Likewise, Militant Islamists just want to kill everyone who is not Muslim. To be fair, both these groups are using very perverted interpretations of Christianity and Islam, but, hey, it’s all good because
They both want to establish a perfect Utopian World government. The problem is White Nationalists want an all-white Christian theocracy, and the Militant Islamists want a Muslim-only theopolity. Awkward!
Kamali’s book gives very in-depth explanations of concepts and terms that many people have heard but may not understand, like the Fourteen Words, RAHOWA, White Genocide, Christian Identity, Creativity, Wotanism, Al-wala, Wa-l-bara, Takfir, Jihad. Trust me, you will know what all of that shit means by the end of the book.
In light of recent events in the Israel-Palestine War and in light of January 6, 2021, Kamali’s book is an important and useful primer on terrorism.
April 28, 2021
Dr. Sara Kamali thoroughly explores two different groups whose actions result in similar consequences. Her point is strong that, while an outside enemy is what American citizens have been groomed to fear most, data shows that violent groups within our borders have recently caused more damage and loss of life. That this book is arriving during the shift in presidential administrations is particularly fascinating as there are many open questions about how the groups that brought in the last presidential regime will shift their strategies. This is an excellent book and Dr. Kamali is to be commended for such meticulous discourse.
May 26, 2021
An old scheme of hatred: take the vote and the speech rights for the minorities that are displeasing the majority. Kamali has the elegance of a 1860 slave owner explaining to the audience why blacks are barely human and how ”our Republic” would crumble if the Blacks are freed. Or the sweet people who managed to restrict access to Asians, forbid them the right to ownership, and later helped put them into Concentration Camps. For ”our” United States.
In short Kamali is no better than the people in the book, sometimes he is worse than ”them”.
In short Kamali is no better than the people in the book, sometimes he is worse than ”them”.
April 28, 2021
Sara Kamali is an outstanding author. I know she has spent years (10 to be exact!) thoroughly researching so she can provide an informed examination between white nationalists and militant Islamists to the best of her ability. Sara is extremely well spoken, and you can tell by her writing. She has been a long time advocate for social justice and it is impressive to see her hard work come to fruition and I only hope her work and dedication continues to be recognized.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews