The War of Ideas Jihadism against Democracy

by Phares, Walid

• ISBN13: 9780230602557
• ISBN10: 023060255X
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-03-18
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

From Afghanistan and¬' Iraq to Europe and the U.S., We are engaged in one of the most heated wars of all time. In this incisive book,¬' terrorism expert Walid Phares¬' shows that the most important battle of all is taking place in the hearts and minds of people across the world. This is the War of Ideas, where ideology is the most powerful weapon. Phares looks at the two opposing camps, one standing for democracy and human rights, the other rejecting the global community and calling for jihad against the West. He reveals the strategies of both sides, explaining how new technology and the jihadists' media savvy have raised the stakes in the¬' conflict. And most urgently, he warns that we are in danger of losing the war, for while debate and theorizing rarely lead to action, ideas and deeds are inextricably linked for the forces of jihad.

Author Biography

Walid Phares is a world-renowned terrorism and Middle East expert. He is a senior fellow at The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and a visiting fellow at the European Foundation for Democracy. He has testified before the State Department many times and led NGO delegations to discuss Middle East terrorism with the UN Security Council. He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, al Jazeera, al Hurra, Fox News, and Abu Dhabi TV, among others, and is a frequent contributor to U.S. and international radio programs. A professor of Middle East Studies at Florida Atlantic University, he holds a doctorate in international relations and strategic studies. He is the author of several books, including Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies against the West.

Table of Contents

Dedication	p. vi
Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. ix
The Historical Debates	p. 1
The Antidemocracy Axis	p. 21
Irreconcilable Views	p. 39
The Jihadi War on International Principles	p. 53
The Assault on Pluralism	p. 67
Democracy's Pillars under Attack	p. 85
Gender Apartheid	p. 101
Jihadism Waits Out the Cold War: The First War of Ideas, 1945-1990	p. 115
Battles over Minds: The Second War of Ideas, 1990-2001	p. 139
The Clash of Futures: The Third War of Ideas, 2001-2006	p. 163
The War on Learning	p. 183
Inflaming Hearts and Fooling Minds	p. 207
War on the Messengers	p. 235
Conclusion	p. 243
Notes	p. 251
Index	p. 261
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