Why i joined radical islam in britain, what i saw inside and why i left reprint by husain, ed isbn. Former islamic extremist turned antiradicalisation thinktank founder ed husain talks to krishnan gurumurthy on the release of his new book house of islam. In 1947, following the partition of india, the jamaat split into two organisations, jamaateislami pakistan and jamaateislami hind the indian wing. Ed husain was an islamist radical for five years in his late teens and early twenties. Why i joined radical islam in britain, what i saw inside and why i left is a 2007 book about ed husain s five years as an islamist. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Jamaateislami was founded in lahore, british india in 1941 by the muslim theologian and sociopolitical philosopher, abul ala maududi, who was widely influenced by the sharia based reign of the mughal emperor aurangzeb. Ed husain is a senior adviser at the tony blair faith foundation and an adjunct senior fellow at the council on foreign relations, specializing in islamist movement, the middle east and counter. Ed husains the islamist is the shocking inside story of british islamic fundamentalism, told by a former radical. Raised in a devout but quiet muslim community in london, at sixteen ed husain was presented with an intriguing political interpretation of islam known as fundamentalism. Ed husain on his life after islamic extremism, a middle. This represent ed an almost 189 percent increase from the. The rise of global islamism in the form of alqaeda and the islamic state of iraq and alsham isis will pose a major challenge to the security of both western and muslimmajority nations for years to come. Ed husain in british muslim delegation to egypt quilliam. It is obligatory to name, expose and refute the instigators of extremist ideologies and activities.
In 2008, husain founded quilliam, the worlds first counterextremism think tank. Ed husain realizes that by joining the ymo, he had indeed changed, if not in the way he might have wanted. We publish thousands of books and journals each year, serving scholars, instructors, and professional communities worldwide. Why i joined radical islam in britain, what i saw inside and why i left by ed husain, penguin, 2007, 288 pp. Syrian born radical islamist sheikh omar bin bakri muhammad is the founder of the london branch of hizbaltahrir the islamic liberation party 1, and of the organization jamaat almuhajirun the emigrants, inreference to those who accompanied the prophet muhammad on his hijra from mecca to medina. Executive director, centre for policy research and consultancy, okene kogi state. In a fervor to deter terrorist acts, he says, britain and the west have utterly failed to understand the complex and subtle mindset, which make him and others susceptible to radicalization in the first place. The vital elements of its existence are far greater than can be ignored or fought against by any. An exactivist ed husain of one of the islamist groups active in britain hizb uttahrir, wrote in his book the islamist that he felt politics was crowding out his relationship with god, and saw the same in other ht activists. Routledge is the worlds leading academic publisher in the humanities and social sciences. In the intervening years, hes been joined by other highprofile defectors from islamic radicalism.
Husain, a british citizen of bangladeshi origin, describes his life searching for true islam. Husain writes and speaks extensively on global threats from terrorism. He is the author of the islamist, an account of his five years as an islamist activist in britain, and the house of islam. The risk of washingtons new love affair with islamists. Ed husain, a senior fellow at the council on foreign relations, is the author of the islamist. Having rejected extremism he travelled widely in the middle east and worked for the british council in. He was imprisoned and reportedly tortured in egypt as a member of that organization. For more information support rand defense technical. The islamist is a tale of gradual radicalisation, wholehearted fanaticism, crisis, disillusion, and gradual disinfection. Full text of the roots of violent islamist extremism and. National order, national salvation, welfare, and virtue. Interesting article on hizb uttahrir activists omar bakri, anjem choudary, majid nawaz and ed husain. Ed husain is the codirector of the quilliam foundation, author of the islamist and a member of the labour party. Why i joined radical islam in britain, what i saw inside and why i left by ed hussain this is hearsay, but i have heard it said that the islamist recruitment gambit, or chatup line, seldom varies.
Pdf this chapter aims to set out the history of islamist ideology and political practice, one variety of which is branded as alqaeda aq. Is calling on moderate muslims to reclaim their religion from the extremists oversimplifying a complex issue and playing into the. We sermonized about the need for muslims to return to islam, but many of the shabab activists did not know how to pray. Islamist parties also benefit immensely from the absence of other rivalsas repressive states close down all opposition groups. As i mentioned in a previous posting, i have been reading the recent book by ed mahbub husain entitled the islamist. Full text of the roots of violent islamist extremism and efforts to counter it see other formats. Husain was cofounder and codirector of quilliam foundation, the worlds first counterradicalization think. Islam in chad taken from chada country study, in the library of. A war of islamisms the islamic state of iraq and sham isis accidentally beheaded one of their own commanders recently. He describes, how he became a radical islamist, and how reality a killing in the name of islam, and two years spent in saudi arabiamade him appreciate the western values. May 26, 2018 t he house of islam is on fire and its muslim arsonists must be expelled. Now i was not a mere muslim like all the others i knew. The islamic state is not a dream, nor is it a figment of the imagination, for it had dominated and influenced history for more than thirteen hundred years.
He has made appearances on cnn, fox, npr, and more. Quilliam codirector ed husain is in egypt as part of an official projecting british islam pbi delegation organised by the uk foreign and commonwealth office. The islamist by ed husain overdrive rakuten overdrive. In todays iraq, some degree of political competition will be present that. A transition from physical to virtual caliphate executive summary. He writes regularly for the new york times, financial times and the guardian. Because they are motivated by faith, islamist radicals are more committed than nonreligious extremists and therefore are less likely to deradicalize. The hertog global strategy initiative in the department of history, columbia university presents ed husain alqaeda and the arab uprisings september 7, 201. Ed husain is the author of the bestselling book the islamist.
Why i became an islamic fundamentalist, what i saw inside, and why i left. Ed husain is the author of the bestselling book, the islamist, which charts and describes his personal journey from membership of the radical group hizb uttahrir to his present position as one of the most celebrated, and i think most eloquent, people to explain the muslim faith and what it means to be a muslim in britain today. The cfr is americas premier foreign policy thinktank, renowned for its independence and nonpartisan approach to understanding the challenges of our time. Mahbub and i both attended ht activities in london back in the early 1990s. I had intended to write a detailed piece on my thoughts about the book.
Why i joined radical islam in britain, what i saw inside and why i left is a 2007 book about ed husains five years as an islamist. Having rejected extremism he travelled widely in the middle east and worked for the british council in syria and saudi arabia. Nevertheless, precisely because islamist ideology plays such a central role in these groups, it is necessary to change militant islamists beliefs as well as their behavior. A fascinating and revelatory exploration of the intricacies of islam and the inner psyche of the muslim world from the bestselling author of the islamist islam began as a stranger, said the prophet mohammed, and one day, it will again return to being a stranger. Ed husain disavowed radical, politicized islam when he was 22. Ed husain reflections of a former islamist extremist. It is a reality, it has always been and always will be. Ed husain on his life after islamic extremism, a middle east. The book has been described as as much a memoir of personal struggle and inner growth as it is a report on a new type of extremism.
On a personal level, my relationship with god had deteriorated. Looking back, ed husain realizes that by joining the ymo, he had indeed changed, if not in the way he might have wanted. Five years later, after much emotional turmoil, i rejected fundamentalist teachings and returned to normal life and my family. Pdf on jan 9, anil k jain and others published book fundamentals of digital image processing. The islamist is a fascinating autobiographical account of one persons descent into islamic extremism and gradual return to more moderate. Ed husain, quilliams cofounder and codirector, is to join the council on foreign relations cfr as a senior fellow. Tony blair faith foundation muslims are radicalized not because of islamophobia, poverty or foreign policy grievances, but because of an ideology and theology that must be uprooted if the growing problem is to be addressed, a former radical islamist said at the european parliament on tuesday. Ed husain has also worked for the british governments cultural propaganda body, the british council, in syria and saudi arabia from 20032005. His work focuses on international threats from radicalization, extremism, and terrorism. Ed husain s story of how a young london muslim was turned into a potential jihadist, the islamist, is a wakeup call for britain, says anushka asthana. Jun 01, 2007 as i mentioned in a previous posting, i have been reading the recent book by ed mahbub husain entitled the islamist.
The true story of one mans journey to islamic fundamentalism and backraised in a devout but quiet muslim community in london, at sixteen ed husain was presented with an intriguing political interpretation of islam known as fundamentalism. Sep 17, 2012 the hertog global strategy initiative in the department of history, columbia university presents ed husain alqaeda and the arab uprisings september 7, 201. British by birth and indo pakistani by descent, ed husain was an obedient child who, during adolescence, came under the sway of a pir, or mystic master. The threat is particularly acute in muslim countries because of islamisms capacity to claim that it represents islam in its most pure. For five years ed husain was an active member of such organizations as the ymo and the more aggressive jamateislami. Ed husain s the islamist is the shocking inside story of british islamic fundamentalism, told by a former radical. May 05, 2007 ed husain s story of how a young london muslim was turned into a potential jihadist, the islamist, is a wakeup call for britain, says anushka asthana. The true story of one mans journey to islamic fundamentalism and back raised in a devout but quiet muslim community in london, at sixteen ed husain. Husain complained we sermonized about the need for muslims to return to islam, but many of the shabab activists. Ed husain reflections of a former islamist extremist the.
Ed husain is senior fellow at the council on foreign relations. Ed mohammed mahbub husain, author of the book the islamist, recalls how as an islamist, he believed that history was a clash between good and evil. Why i became an islamic fundamentalist, what i saw inside, and why i left by husain, ed isbn. Ed husain a fascinating and revelatory exploration of the intricacies of islam and the inner psyche of the muslim world from the bestselling author of the islamist islam began as a stranger, said the prophet mohammed, and one day, it will again return to being a stranger. So comes the provocation from ed husain, selfproclaimed former islamist radical, who puts much of the blame for isis. Ed husain to join us council on foreign relations quilliam. The rise of the islamist movement in turkey written by professor nilufer narli of marmara university in turkey, this article covers the emergence of muslim political activity within the turkish system in the form of four successive political parties. When i was sixteen i became an islamic fundamentalist. Ed husain berkley center for religion, peace, and world. The fundamentals of islamic extremism public intelligence.
The delegation includes highprofile british muslims including sidi aftab malik, a visiting fellow at the department of culture and ethnicity at the university of birmigham, shaikh usama hassan, abdulrehman malik of rmw sidi wael zubi. The extremist takfiris and jihadis who influenced michael adebolajo in the woolwich killing. Why i became an islamic fundamentalist, what i saw inside, and why i left husain, ed on. Egyptian islamist lawyer muntassir alzayyat said that all the political forces in egypt left, panarabs, and nasserists applauded sadats assassination, and that there was religious justification for his killing. Jun 27, 2018 former islamic extremist turned antiradicalisation thinktank founder ed husain talks to krishnan gurumurthy on the release of his new book house of islam. Ed husains book, the islamist, took that country by storm after it was published in may 2007. Interesting article on hizb uttahrir activists omar bakri. Criticism of islamism wikipedia republished wiki 2. Taking passports would only raise the jihadist threat created with sketch. He describes, how he became a radical islamist, and how reality a killing in the name of islam, and two years spent in saudi arabiamade him appreciate the western values of tolerance, without loosing his muslim faith. May 03, 2007 ed husain s the islamist is the shocking inside story of british islamic fundamentalism, told by a former radical. The true story of one mans journey to islamic fundamentalism and back. Russell palarea introduction f ollowing the events of september 11, 2001, the us intelligence and law enforcement communities began a. A single destination for a vast collection of ebooks in.
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