Description

This polemic against Islamic extremism highlights the striking parallels between contemporary Islamism and the 20th-century fascism embodied by Hitler and Mussolini. Like those infamous ideologies, Islamism today touts imperialist dreams of world domination, belief in its inherent superiority, contempt for the rest of humanity, and often a murderous agenda. The author, born and raised in Egypt and now living in Germany, not only explains the historical connections between early 20th-century fascist movements in Europe and extremist factions in Islam, but he also traces the fascist tendencies in mainstream Islam that have existed throughout its history. Examining key individuals and episodes from centuries past, the book shows the influence of Islam's earliest exploits on current politics in the Islamic world. The author's incisive analysis exposes the fascist underpinnings of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Shia regime in Iran, ISIS, Salafi and Jihadist ideologies, and more. Forcefully argued and well-researched, this book grew out of a lecture on Islamic fascism that the author gave in Cairo, resulting in a call for his death by three prominent Egyptian clerics.

Reviews

"PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL GERMAN EDITION OF ISLAMIC FASCISM: “In compelling words, Hamed Abdel-Samad formulates an enlightened critique of Islamism ... An interesting and valuable book." -- dw.de (Deutsche Welle [German Radio] website) “Hamed Abdel-Samad was once an Islamist. Now the public commentator combats what he once stood for with a holy furor. ... He is the Egyptian Salman Rushdie." - Sueddeutsche Zeitung (South German News)

More Islamic Studies

More Terrorism