PDF Islamic Fascism by Hamed Abdel-Samad in History

Review

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful. Hamed Abdel-Samad is the world’s authority on Islam and Islamists.By KoanThis book is the best I ever read about Islam. I am familiar with Sam Harris; Hitchens; Dawkins; Robert Spencer and others; but they all pale and shallow in comparison about Islam. They lack knowledge of Arabic language. Without proficiency of Arabic language; no one can understand Koran; hadith and how Muslims think. In other words they don’t feel how bad Islam is; and what is going inside the heads of extreme Muslims. The author on the other hand is from an orthodox Islamic back ground and probably started as a follower of Islamic groups. His excellent knowledge of Arabic enables him to understand; feel and trace back every word of Koran to its original sources and proved that thousands of words are not Arabic. He knows the Arabic language and religion than Muslims themselves and stops them on their track; when they dare to claim that others (western) miss interpret; twist and demonize Islam. On top of that his political and historical academic studies in Egypt; Germany; Japan and USA; qualifies him to lecture in universities and top respectable institutions especially in Germany; Japan and internationally. Very few indeed could write books in different languages.I am following Abdel-Samad over the internet; in his own program “Box of Islam”; on Hayat TV and other Arabic channels. He is very knowledgeable; convincing; eloquent and personable; concise; straight to the point and wins all arguments.Islamic Fascist book started with explaining the ideology of Fascism; how it started in Britain and spread to Italy then Germany. In the same time The Muslim Brotherhood started in Egypt as a reform movement which calls for spreading Islam all over the world and forming a central ruling Islamic government called Kalifate. Abdel-Samad proved without doubt that the Muslim Brotherhood; inspired by the Nazi regime; copied and contacted Hitler for support. The book followed the Brotherhood Fascist movement thru its long journey from 1920’s till ruling Egypt thru sham election. They used the slogan of democracy as Trojan horse. They ruled for one year; failed miserably till the masses kicked them out. They left the scene to regroup and left Salafism in their place.The book also traced the democratic movement that started in Tunisia; the Arab spring; to end up in failure; and the Islamic Fascist weakened but still exists. Also the book talks about various terrorist groups that have Islam as its base; like Boko Haram; Al-Shabaab; Al-Qaida; Gamaa Islamiyah and others.The book traced the roots of Islam and showed it is built on Fascist basis. Islam means total submission to God and his prophet Muhammad. There is a constant fear of unbelievers and the call for spreading the words of God (supposed to be love; peace; coexistence and accepting the others); but after few years Muhammad started a terror campaign invading other Arabian towns; his successors continuing the tradition of Jihad and spreading Islam throughout the world with the sword and terror. Islamic Terrorism still rattling the world till present time and won’t stop. The book talked about the terror organization like Al-Qaida; ISIS. ISIS is the first state of Islam; Kalifate that actually occupied Arabic territories and bringing recruits from all over the world. Abdel-Samad showed us that terrorist groups by using the calls for fulfilling the will of God; can defy any calls for moderate thinking. He Said that Lamya Kaddor; an Islamic moderate reformist who started Islamic education in Germany; lost five of her young students to ISIS; who left Germany to join the bloody terror ruling of other Muslims in Syria. They weren’t even Arabs! Four of them Turkish and one Kosovo-Albanian (P152).Abdel-Samad considers Satire is a form of civilized criticism; broaden the thought horizon; accepting different perspective and mind opener. He tells us a joke by one of his German friends; who studying theology; about a Bavarian butcher who went to heaven…….(p199) it is very funny. Abdel-Samad draw comparison between the Danish and Charlie Hebdo incidents that hundreds lost their lives in its wake; it is very sad. To insult Muhammad is a sin punished by death. Ironically during the Muslim brother’s rule; Bassam Youssef; who criticized them bitterly; never got persecuted. After june.2013 revolution many writers; cartoonist even four young students (under 18 and considered children) who put half a minute’s video on YouTube; making fun of Muslim’s prayer got four years jail sentences.The book talked deeply about historical and political aspects of Islamic Fascism. The book also talked about the psychological built of Islamists leaders; followers; terrorists; jihadists. How young people in Germany; frustrated; looked down upon; no bright future and thinks that they are second degree citizens. When they hear the calls for Jihad; spreading the word of good; martyrdom; heavenly hurries they blindly follow. Especially when they promised leading military command post; ruling other Muslims and infidels alike and with a word decide who is going to live and who is going to die; also will have numerous women slaves from the Christians; Yazidis; curds villages they are going to acquire. What prompted them to opt for that; this? Adel-Samad tells us that; for the first time they feel important and became somebody.Abdel-Samad tells us such bad ideologies like Fascism; Nazism and Communism are not subject to reform but to be defeated and destroyed; but what we have to do about Islamic Fascism which based on Islam; the word of God (Koran); everlasting and good for the past; present and future; became in the fabric of mind and soul of Muslims.The solution in the age of globalization is secularism; the complete separation between religion and state. We need to put religion in its small spot and let science; enlightenment; freedom; coexistence reign.This is a great book must be carefully studied by all Muslims and none Muslims alike. Especially leaders of the Arab and Islamic states to see where Islam is taking them. Also for the western leaders to see the danger of Islam and see its ugly face and stop justifying and pacifying it; and stop calling it a religion of peace.39 of 41 people found the following review helpful. Must read!By PhaidonThe fact that "Islamic Fascism" has finally been translated into English makes me feel a kind of relief and satisfaction for Abdel-Samad's tireless and courageous work in questioning the fundamental doctrines of Islamic ideology - be it through articles; books; public debates; or media appearances. It would have been a waste if this book didn't get translated into English; because it is a short and knowledgeable critique of an issue that is of the utmost importance in the present-day world. The author was born and raised in Egypt; the son of an Imam; and Arabic is his mother tongue. This makes for part of his humanistic and empathic approach to the controversial issue of Islamic Fascism: he doesn't write from a standpoint of Western arrogance; nor does he point fingers indiscriminately against the "Arabs" or the "Muslims". What Abdel-Samad underwent in his personal experience; going from being a member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood to embracing the humanist values of Western civilization; is what he wishes to happen in the larger context of Islam: self-critique; open debate; self-questionning.Abdel-Samad exposes his argument without vitriol; without hate; but as a compassionate plea for humanistic values; that however cannot prosper unless things are called by their name; unless a spade is called a spade. The totalitarian drive of Islam is there; plain to see for anyone willing to face reality without incurring in the politically correct practice of "eye-rinsing". What has to be understood; accepted; and put out in the open is the fact that Islam has a totalitarian DNA - not unlike the other monotheisms; to be sure - and Abdel-Samad's book analyses its characteristics; its origins; and its development all the way from the time of Muhammad; to Ibn Taymiyya; Sayyid Qutb; all the way up to its present-day manifestations. But while Christianity and Judaism went through processes of transformation and secularization; making them viable for the modern world; Islam seems to suffer from a peculiar rigidity that makes such a shift extremely difficult; if not impossible. This book attempts to inquire into why that may be; and how Islam may or may not become viable for a coexistence within a democratic and pluralist society."Islamic Fascism" is a book I'd recommend to anyone open enough to question the comfortable and pleasant assumptions of the liberal left; as well as to anyone interested in the phenomenon of Islam(ism). 'Newbie' and expert will both learn a lot from this book and find plenty of food for thought in it. It is well researched and provides plenty of information; but it is easily read. How much each reader will be able to get out of it will depend in part of his previous knowledge that allows him to relate it to a wider context of tings; but either way it can serve as an introduction or as an expansion of knowledge. The only pity is; that those people that would need to read it most urgently are probably going to be those unwilling to even go near it.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Finally something intelligent; well worth a read!!!By Oeyvind Aamdal EliassenFinally someone who has something intelligent to say about what's going on! The Solzhenitsyn we desperately need!And it's explained in a human way. If people would read this book we MAY actually have a chance...