Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Winner of the IPPY Bronze Medal in "Current Events I; Political/Economic/Foreign Affairs"
Menacing threats arising out of the Middle East continue to capture the attention of the international community. The manifestations of these problems are painfully evident: a lack of security, civil wars, and the deaths, injury, and uprooting of millions of innocent people have reshaped the landscape and led to the collapse of numerous national governments. With the escalating situation in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen, the crisis could accelerate further and lead to even more ominous consequences than what we've seen so far from radical Islamist entities such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, otherwise known as ISIS or ISIL. The author, who has deep family roots in Egypt, argues that his ancestral country will play a critical role in the developments in the Middle East, and he recounts his personal observations of the country he once lived in and has visited on numerous occasions. The Crisis of Islamism explores the historical developments that led to the emergence of a sad state of affairs, including the role Israel plays in the Middle East. More importantly, it proposes ways to address the problems.
Synopsis
A Word from the Author The text of this book was first published in 2015 shortly after the US invasion of Iraq, under the title "The Crisis of Islamism". I wrote the book at the time to express my criticism of the invasion of Iraq, and to explain the events that led to the emergence and actions of Isis which I abhorred. In 2016 the book was awarded the Bronze Medal in the category of "Current Events I" by the Independent Publisher Book Awards. I am exasperated by Hamas's action and Israel's response in 2003. Instead of trying to cover these developments which are unfolding as I write now, and since the narrative of my book is historical in nature and remains to be valid, I decided to republish the original text without modification in an effort to address the underlying issues of decades' long conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians. In the Preface of the book, I express great praise for the military's takeover of the government form the Moslem Brotherhood in Egypt years ago. Believing that religious fanaticism lies at the roots of many global problems, I remain stead fast in taking this position; albeit, with less enthusiasm in what I wrote in the case of Egypt due to the more recent negative economic developments there.