Jihad in Saudi Arabia: Violence and Pan-Islamism since 1979 (Cambridge Middle East Studies, Series Number 33)

I am a Saudi myself and a physician so I know the culture Mr Hegghamer is talking about and I also know what a scholarly scientific work is. This is a great book by all means although I have to object to Mr Hegghammer reference about some massacres executed by the Israeli government as "claimed", but I understand what is it like to be an a academic in the US or Europe where condemning Israel could be of serious consequences on your professional future. Withstanding these glitches this book was the best I read on the subject and worth reading not only by westerners but also Saudis or Muslims who wants to read a critical piece by an an honest outsider not biased to the subject.Thank you Dr Hegghammer.

Good intro to Saudi Arabia's role in Muslim terrorist funding and groups.

It is hard to remember this book as I have read 40 books in the past 2 years trying to educate myself about Muslims. I do remember that the Dictator Family has financed Taliban and al Quida. Their special business family, Osama Ben Laden is Saudi and has spent a large part of his vast fortune in the fight against infidels. Today I learned the Pope Sainted 400 Priests that were beheaded for not converting to Islam in the 15th Century. I was taken aback. I thought from what I had read this World Wide Battle by the Muslims to make the entire world one big Muslim world was from this Century. This book tells of the Jihad in Saudi Arabia and the rush of young Saudi men into the battle to get martyred.Many returned after a week, disgusted with how hard it was. Young men in Saudi Arabia do not do physical labor, but loll about all day. They do not go to the store or seek a job. Some are educated in fine schools and then retire on family money. None do labor work, (it is too hot and it is hired by men from outside the country). It is a very strange society of very wealthy people from their giant pool of oil under the desert. This money is shared by the ruler to keep the people happy and to keep his family in power. He has a group of brothers that have taken turns as rulers. It is soon to be passed to a younger generation as the current generation is growing old and there are thousands of young men heirs to the throne and there will have to be a family election to see who will rule. The Saudi oil money has been the largest contributor to the cost of the battle to convert the world and behead those who do not yield.

First, let med start by saying that this is a real scholarly work. Almost every page has lots of comprehensive footnotes. What impresses me the most, is all the primary (and secondary) sources Hegghammer has used in this book: Interviews with and biographies on ex-jihadists, prisoners from Guantanamo, families of active jihadists etc. (about 500 in all if I remember correctly). This makes Hegghammers arguments very convincing.The book divides the time from 1979 into three periods. The first period ends in the mid-1990s and covers the rise of what Hegghammer calls "classical jihadism", that is the type of jihad conducted in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, in defense of muslim territories. Other examples are Checnya and Bosnia. The second period lasts from the mid-1990s until 9/11 2001, and covers the rise of al-Qaida and global jihadism, a much more controversial doctrine than classical jihadism. The third period covers al-Qaidas operations in Saudi Arabia, after they were ousted from Afghanistan. For each period Hegghammer has a chapter on the political environment, a chapter on the leaders and the organisations (e.g. al-Qaida), and a chapter on the jihadist recruits themselves.To me, the most interesting parts of the book were the ones that covered the rise of jihadism. This gives rise to some general lessons, and also to some thoughts on how to win the war on terror. Hegghammer argues convincingly that doing something about symbols of muslim suffering is more important than political reform at home, at least in dealing with al-Qaida. Of course, this may not be the case with all islamists, and he makes some interesting comparisons between Egyptian and Saudi Arabian islamists.For someone more interested in Saudi Arabia itself (than me), the parts covering al-Qaidas operations in Saudi Arabia may be just as interesting, and rest assured that Hegghammer has covered this in detail.

das Buch ist wie neu. Eine sehr gute fundierte Studie, sehr gut geschrieben und flüssig zu lesen. Sehr gutes Werk als Basis für wissenschaftliche Arbeiten

Another great work of Thomas Hegghammer.A reference in the study of global Jihadism and international terrorism.Highly Recommended!Superb!!!!!!!!!

Fascinating reading, very good research, gives a very detailed and clear picture of ,any parts of thinking inside the islam.