A Fury for God: The Islamist Attack on America

by Malise Ruthven

The terrorist attacks on New York and Washington were carried out by men steeped in a certain Islamic ideology, which has come to be called Islamism. In A Fury for God, Malise Ruthven first reconstructs the events of September 11 and the war in Afghanistan. He traces the role of the idea of "jihad" and examines the permissibility of suicide in Islam, and reconstructs the world view of Islamist intellectuals like Sayyid Qutb, the Egyptian thinker who has influenced an entire generation of radicals in the Arab world, notably Osama bin Laden. He also shows that it would be a mistake to treat these people as medieval fanatics—their attitude to modernity is dangerous and ambivalent. And in a changing analysis, the author exposes the crucial importance of the Saudi connection, the massive sponsorship of "fundamentalism" by an authoritarian tribal regime that has been tolerated by the international community for the sake of Western economic stability. Ruthven's identification of the ambiguities in Western policy is powerfully provocative.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Religion, Islam, Terrorism, War, History

346 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Malise Ruthven is the author of Islam in the World, The Divine Supermarket: Shopping for God in America, A Satanic Affair: Salman Rushdie and the Wrath of Islam and several other books. His Islam: A Very Short Introduction has been published in several languages, including Chinese, Korean, Romanian, Polish, Italian and German.

A former scriptwriter with the BBC Arabic and World Services, Dr Ruthven holds an MA in English Literature and a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University. He has taught Islamic studies, cultural history and comparative religion at the University of Aberdeen, the University of California, San Diego, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire and Colorado College.

Now a full-time writer, he is currently working on Fundamentalism: A Very Short Introduction and Arabesque and Crucifix, a study in comparative religious iconography.

Reviews

[Shane Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I was expecting a very white-washed Western viewpoint, but the book was much better than that in looking at where Islamic fundamentalism has come from. I'd criticize the author for being a soft on Bush, but his later added afterward somewhat makes up for it. I'd say this book is an excellent choice for anyone looking to expand their understanding of Islam.

[Liam89 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Using his deep knowledge of Arabic language and history, and the Quran, as well as beautiful prose, Malise Ruthven (one of the foremost Western experts on Islam and Islamism) dissects the motivation, justification, and ramifications of that day in September when the world changed forever. Tracing the roots of jihad from the foundation of Islam itself, to the experiences of Sayyid Qutb (regarded as the founder of modern Islamism), Professor Ruthven shows how a combination of social alienation, fundamentalism, the perceived conspiracy against Islam, the intransigent Israel-Palestine conflict, the role of Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, and sexual repression has combined to create a lethal band of young men who believe they are commanded to carry out atrocities against the West. A must-read. Perhaps the most disturbing conclusion is the reality that Islamists like Al Q'aeda's cannot be dismissed as mere medieval fanatic. Islamists have shown developed a combination of modern means to retrieve a medieval Islamic empire.

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very detailed historic account of why Religious Zealots abound in modern society and book was released just a few months after the events that took place on 9/11.

Apparently there was an update volume released in 2004.

The Koran is one of those religious texts that can be read in so many different ways. It's all-empowering word does state to kill all infidels who do not take Islam lightly. This battle has been going on already for centuries and with the Jewish interests using the guise of Religion forcing their way into the Middle East after WW2 and have been nothing but a major problem ever since by forceful expansion and intimidation while the US turns a blind eye to things...

They are the infidels.

It is quite appropriate to say that if it was not for Religion of all sorts (sects or cults included) the planet wouldn't have all the social problems that it does. I'm sorry to say that the cults are no worse than fanatics within all Religions across the globe.

[Marc Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes a bit of sifting through, but what was in the mind of the 9/11 bombers is all laid out and while you might not gree with them and the conclusions they drew, you ought at least to be able to see how they thought.

[Hollis Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't remember this that well, but I found it very interesting.

[Carty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense to work through, but fascinating.