Extreme Islam: Anti American Propaganda of Muslim Fundamentalism

Deftly edited by Adam Parfrey, Extreme Islam: Anti-American Propaganda Of Muslim Fundamentalism is a timely and much needed contribution to the current national dialogue brought about by the events of 9/11 and the presidentially declared war against Islamic terrorism networks. Extreme Islam is an informative and alarming compilation of primary sources drawn from Muslim fundamentalism including fatwas, interviews, essays, political cartoons, paintings, poems, and stories graphically and textually showcasing the messianic context of Islam that advocates the complete destruction of all ideological enemies -- including the "Great Satan" of secularism, the United States of America. Also included are original documents of Christian and Jewish fundamentalism and a remarkable and little-known plot to destroy al-Aqsa (one of Islam's holiest shrines) for the specific purpose of fomenting world war and the coming of the Apocalypse. Extreme Islam is strongly recommended reading for students of International Studies in general, and the nature of contemporary political terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism in particular.

After the tragedy of September 11, a lot of misinformation has circulated about the beliefs of the Islamic extremists who were deemed responsible for these events. In this publication by Feral House Press, we are able to see first hand the beliefs of many Islamic extremists as seen in their propaganda literature and political cartoons. The book includes various materials of all sorts from individuals ranging from Yassar Arafat and the Palestinians to Muammar al Qaddafi to Sadaam Hussein to Usamah bin Ladin. Much of this material is difficult to sort through and very disturbing given that it often involves threats of death to various Americans and calls for Jihad. Given the viciousness of many of these groups and the recent events that have brought them to the fore, it is important for Americans to examine these materials from noted terrorists. It should be noted that not all the material presented here is from terrorists nor is all of it even Islamic. All in all, this book provides a disturbing look into a world much different from that which exists in the West.

Adam Parfrey is best known for his "Apocalypse Culture" volumes: two fat anthologies of horrific material collected from the far fringes of American culture. He has taken the same approach with "Extreme Islam", a gathering of stunning documents culled from the fundamentalist Muslim areas of the world. Here you will find shocking, repulsive stuff: calls for the murder of Jews and Americans. Hate-filled cartoons, drawings, and postage stamps(!) The final instructions for the September 11 hijackers. A manual on how to torture prisoners. Osama bin Laden's 1998 declaration of war against America. This stuff will give you nightmares because, unlike the isolated freaks in "Apocalypse Culture", these people are well-financed, seeking weapons of mass destruction, and are driving much of what is happening in the world today. As Parfrey notes, much of this material remained untranslated from the Arabic until just recently. The authors must have thought we weren't paying attention. Well, they have our attention now.

Extreme Islam displays a world of reaction and hate which I began to comprehend since the 11 September tragedy, but could not visualise. To say the least, this book supplies the visuals. The editor has an excellent eye for representational and other propaganda, and he gives it a space to speak for itself. I must agree with comments that this sort of matter is supressed(omitted) from discourse about the subject of Islamic Fundamentalism by people who claim erudition, for reasons of maintaining a victimhood for certain peoples in the world, or just establishment political correctness. I recommend this text.

Feral House has established itself over the years as perhaps the finest existant publisher of books that explore what the bulk of society often deems to be esoteric, strange, or dangerous. Topics have run the gamut from Weimar Berlin to Norweigan black metal to Jack Parsons to the phenomenon of bubblegum music, and many and varied points in between. Yet, while fully acknowledging the tremendous work that has been done previously, I doubt they've ever published a more significant or important book than Extreme Islam.Those that are interested in/entertained by extremist thought would have had ample reason to purchase this book previous to September 11. However, in light of the events of that day and those that followed, the potential audience has increased exponentially. Anyone interested in the study of history knows that you can't do better than accessing primary source material (that which the individuals/groups in question ACTUALLY SAID) when attempting to understand any sort of historical phenomenon. That's the method used in Extreme Islam; letting the players involved speak for themselves. You get testimonials from a quasi-Marxist Palestinian woman involved in 1970s hijackings, an admonishment from the Ayatollah Khomenni to a former compatriot in the Iranian Revolution he later deemed to be "too liberal," an interview w/ the founder of Hamas, and plenty of material dedicated to the "stars" of the present, Osama Bin Ladin and the Taliban. Lest anyone believe this is a one-sided presentation, the work of Zionist extremists (and Zionist Christian extremists as well) is laid bare for your perusal as well.We in the West get a muddled picture of Islam from the conventional media. We're told over and over again that Islam is a religion of "peace," and that Al-Queda and Bin Ladin and the Taliban aren't true representatives of Muslim thought. Is that accurate, or is there something "wrong" that is inherent in Muslim thought and its expression, political and otherwise? While this book can't possibly answer that question in any conclusive way, it will, at the very least, raise serious questions in the mind of any objective reader as to the true nature of this oft-misunderstood belief system. I can't recommend this book highly enough.