The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud from Tradition to Terror

An urgently needed guide to the history and varieties of Moslem belief by a Jewish historian Osama bin Ladin is not really fighting a war against America: he is leading a revolution within Islam. Stephen Schwartz explains bin Laden's actions in terms of the goals of the radical Wahhabi sect to which he belongs and distinguishes its tenets from those of traditional Islam. Schwartz explains the origins of the extreme Wahhabi variant of Islam the sect to which Osama bin Laden belongs, and the official cult of the Saudi Arabian state. Rather than viewing Islam itself as the problem, like other critics, Schwartz seeks to rescue mainstream Islam from Western ignorance and prejudice. It is a defense of moderate Islam by an American Jewish historian. Founded in the 18th century by a radical Moslem cleric, Wahhabism is an extreme and intolerant "Islamo-fascist" offshoot that became the official sect of the Saudi Arabian state. Schwartz will trace the origin and history of Wahhabism, giving special attention to the vigorous program of ideological export financed and directed by the Saudis over the past 50 years. Anyone who seeks to understand who we are fighting, what our enemies believe, who our potential Moslem friends are - and why the Saudis have been such reluctant allies - urgently needs to read this book. As we enter a protracted and difficult war against terrorism, many people are wondering what motivates the killers: is it really their religious beliefs, or do they simply hate Americans? Some have argued that Islam is a religion of peace; others that Islam has always harboured tendencies to violence and intolerance. Can both these views be right? Now more than ever, as we seek to build and maintain a coalition of moderate Arab states against the terrorists, we need to understand the complex history of Islam and the varieties of Islamic belief.

About the Author :
Stephen Schwartz is an author and journalist with many years of reporting experience on religious affairs in the Balkans and elsewhere. He is also an interfaith activist who has developed strong relationships with Moslem leaders around the world. In the days after September 11, it was an article by Schwartz in the London Spectator that first identified bin Laden as a Wahhabi and made the link to Saudi Arabia. Formerly on the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle, he is currently a news writer at Voice of America in Washington DC.

Review :
"The war against terror is a war against radical Islam--and on behalf of civilized Islam. No one has done more to expose the radical, Saudi-Wahhabi face of Islam than Stephen Schwartz. Here he also introduces us to a second, benign face of Islam, one that is a source of reassurance or at least hope." -William Kristol, Editor," The Weekly Standard "Islamic culture is man-made. It has created great splendors as well as great miseries. Stephen Schwartz's work is exemplary in illuminating intra-Muslim distinctions, both historic and theological; distinctions which are of the first importance for the rest of the world to understand. He is a most articulate enemy of Islamofascism." -Christopher Hitchens "After September 11, author and journalist Stephen Schwartz began a long-overdue public discussion of the dangers of Wahhabism for the world. The result is this groundbreaking book, the best book on the topic yet published. Stephen Schwartz has dissected Wahhabism from the roots up and has traced its growth like no previous writer. This book will be the outstanding reference work on Wahhabism for years to come. Stephen Schwartz's work will completely change how the world views Islam." -Ali Al-Ahmed, Saudi Institute for Development and Studies