Extreme Islam: Anti-American Propaganda of Muslim Fundamentalism

Tells it like it is.

Real tales and anecdotes of real Muslims. If you still believe Islam is a religion of peace, read this. Islamic Fundamentalism is the wave of the future in Europe and the US.

EXTREME ISLAM (2001)edited by Adam ParfreyAdam Parfrey's Feral House imprint made a big splash with the APOCALYPSE CULTURE anthology. This was a very strange book containing a variety of "extreme" viewpoints, some from the self-publishing underground and others from the art world. As you read Apocalypse Culture, you often think to yourself "somebody really believes this!" or "people like this really exist in the world". Apocalypse Culture was so successful that it spawned a sequel, which was dedicated to Jabotinsky. EXTREME ISLAM continues in this vein, and could very well be called the "APOCALYPSE CULTURE: Muslim Edition".Extreme Islam is a mix of source documents and useful overviews of the militant Muslim movements. Many of the chapters are made up of declarations against the West, as is to be expected. Some of the articles to give historical background include documentation of a meeting between Adolf Hitler and Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and an rudimentary history of radical Islam by the Medea Institute. There are also some very creepy articles, such as "How can I train myself for Jihad?", "Killing Infidels in Chechnya" and a Hamas website article suggesting that anthrax should run through the U.S. water supply. One of the last articles in the book is a paper giving instructions to the September 11th hijackers on how to prepare for their plan.Extreme Islam showcases these people in their own words:Maulana Maudoodi, intellectualHassan al-Banna, founder of Muslim BrotherhoodAnwar Sadat, Arab NationalistSayyid Qutb, hardcore intellectualYasser Arafat, Fatah & PLO leaderAyatollah Ruhullah Khomeini, Iranian revolutionaryMummar Qaddafi, Libyan Pan-IslamistSaddam Hussein, Baathist dictatorSheikh Ahmed Yassin, Hamas FounderLeila Khaled, socialist plane hijackerOsama bin-Laden, top terroristMullah Omar Mohammed, Taliban figureheadLouis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam spokesmanHeidar Jamal, Russian Islamic CommitteeDespite it's title, the book isn't only about extreme Islam. It also contains a chapter that attempts to rationalize the militant Zionism of the Gush Emunim group and another detailing the process of Israeli settlements in Muslim areas. There are also two chapters written from a Christian Zionist perspective, calling attention to the historic Temple Mount area which is also home to the famous Dome of the Rock. Some fundamentalist Jews and Christians are seeking to destroy the Dome in so that Solomon's Temple can be rebuilt as prophesied in Matthew 24 and 25.I understand that some people might consider it tacky or irresponsible to release this book "in the aftermath of September 11". However with the exception of a single article ("Jews in Muslim Lands"), this book consists of documents that already existed in the world prior to it's publication. Certainly they have found a larger audience and some will use it as apologia for Bush's misdeeds. But criticizing a book because some of its readers lack a complete understanding of world issues is itself an ignorant position to take. The information in this book is legitimate and the positions held here have already been read elsewhere. In fact you could also make a "reverse argument" by saying that Muslim extremists could purchase the book and that it might influence them to join a "sleeper cell". Either way, curious readers should not be denied the opportunity to see and discuss these tracts because of what some people might do with the information. Therefore I recommend this book with the same caveat that I give with Peter Lamborn Wilson's 'SACRED DRIFT': "this is a great book about strange trends in Islam, just don't make it the only book you read on Islam".

Feral House has always stood on the cutting edge. Many of their titles have presented extreme and controversial ideas and images. (Apocalypse Culture I and II, Kooks, Lords of Chaos) During this time one thing that has always held true for Feral House books is how even handed they are in their presentation. The information is offered without bias or judgment. Feral House has always published their books so as to require the reader to think and draw their own conclusions. With "Extreme Islam", Adam Parfrey and Feral House have once again published a thought provoking book filled with an abundance of text that you will most likely never see presented in any mainstream venue. The timing on the release of this book is perfect. As our president stands in front of the country and presents the thought that Islam is a religion of peace and kindness, "Extreme Islam" becomes a very important document. After reading just a handful of the texts in this book you may get the sinking feeling that perhaps someone has a different definition of peace than you do. For example, when on page 2, I read how someone can be killed simply for rejecting the Muslim religion, well; doubt begins to creep into my mind on the concept of peace, love and kindness. Reading further into the book one gets to see an even more frightening picture being painted. The reader gets a glimpse of the erotic afterlife that awaits the suicide bomber. Other writing includes "You Have Made Me Your Human Bomb," written in a way that seeks to justify suicide bombings. Following that is a very interesting interview with a female highjacker. She relays a first person account of her highjacking and also provides a short interview. An ode to Anthrax is included, lamenting that it has not taken enough American lives. Texts from Usamah Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, as well as Qaddafi also appear. A frightening primer for preparations for Jihad is included, as are letters of instruction to the highjackers of September 11th. A brutal list of Taliban restrictions against women is provided, as are some examples of what happens when one has been perceived to have broken one of thse rules. Don't get the idea that this is a one sided presentation either. No, Parfrey has included some equally scary pieces by extreme Zionists, Zionist Christians, as well a disturbing piece from Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. Also included are pieces on the civil war in Algeria, a Nation of Islam Q & A, an interview with a Russian Fundamentalist, as well as text regarding the genocide of Muslims by the Serbs. To sum it all up, there are over 50 separate pieces of writing in this book and they are not all from a Middle Eastern fundamentalist Muslim's viewpoint. Parfrey knows that presenting only one side of the argument does not make for a challenge or require any thought, with that in mind he tries to provide a good amount of information from the many sides of this situation. As Parfrey states in his introduction, " the purpose of "Extreme Islam" is not to harm, but to understand. Understanding requires asking hard questions, and the reading of all relative materials." With that in mind, it is easy to see that Parfrey has done a lot of research on this long planned title. Further along in his introduction Parfrey implores that "Americans would do well to study the arguments of those who despise us rather than parading around in a patriotic haze," as we so often do. America has lost its feeling of invincibility and now it can see clearly that it is hated by many. Parfrey provides the background material in "Extreme Islam" so that we can see a little clearer why we are considered "The Great Satan."Granted I doubt that every Muslim feels this way. However, enough do hold this opinion as to cause harm to the previously unscathed mainland of America. With worldwide communication becoming easier every day it is conceivable that these extreme ideas will grow as more people get access to them. America bears the brunt of this hatred and America needs to see and understand this information as well. With "Extreme Islam" Adam Parfrey has presented a well researched primer on anti-American sentiment that should be required reading for every American in this post September 11th landscape.

This book documents some of the most extreme propaganda and writings in the Islamic world reprinting the actual writings. While a high percentage of the Muslim world would probably at the least in an armchair sort of way advocate and/or sympathize with most of whats in this book, at least in a similar vein to a Muslim I once worked with who said although he wouldn't have the courage to kill him with his own hands he still advocated the death of Salman Rushdie, the authors of this book neglect to mention that for years the United States government openly promoted and funded some of the most extreme Islamic factions in the middle east, including out and out founding Al-Queda. I honestly have to wonder how much of the rhetoric that made it into this book was covertly penned by the CIA.While the stone age behavior of much of the Muslim world can't be denied I also couldn't help but notice that the co-author of this book is also the author of a book that sought to demonize Asatru/Odinists (2/3 of that book wasn't even about Odinism but instead Christian Identity and the Church of the Creator) and also a book about the Nation of Islam. Two groups that certain "hate watchdog" groups seek to paint as boogeymen to scare people into donating money to their organizations so I have to also question the motivations of the publication of this book. Its an interesting read because you get to read some of the most extreme doctrines in the Muslim world, and this book is probably at the top of every chickenhawk neo-cons reading list, but like I said I just don't trust the motivations behind the publication of this book.