The Islamist: Why I joined radical Islam in Britain, what I saw inside and why I left - Softcover

Husain, Ed

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141030437 ISBN 13: 9780141030432

Publisher: Penguin, 2007

Synopsis

Ed Husain's The Islamist is the shocking inside story of British Islamic fundamentalism, told by a former radical.

'When I was sixteen I became an Islamic fundamentalist. Five years later, after much emotional turmoil, I rejected fundamentalist teachings and returned to normal life and my family. As I recovered my faith and mind, I tried to put my experiences behind me, but as the events of 7/7 unfolded it became clear to me that Islamist groups pose a threat to this country that we - Muslims and non-Muslims alike - do not yet understand.'

'Why are young British Muslims becoming extremists? What are the risks of another home-grown terrorist attack on British soil? By describing my experiences inside these groups and the reasons I joined them, I hope to explain the appeal of extremist thought, how fanatics penetrate Muslim communities and the truth behind their agenda of subverting the West and moderate Islam. Writing candidly about life after extremism, I illustrate the depth of the problem that now grips Muslim hearts and minds and lay bare what politicians and Muslim 'community leaders' do not want you to know.'

'A complete eye-opener'
  The Times

'Captivating, and terrifyingly honest'
  Observer

'Persuasive and stimulating'
  Martin Amis

'Read this articulate and impassioned book'
  Simon Jenkins, Sunday Times

Ed Husain was an Islamist radical for five years in his late teens and early twenties. Having rejected extremism he travelled widely in the Middle East and worked for the British Council in Syria and Saudi Arabia. Husain received wide and various acclaim for The Islamist, which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for political writing and the PEN/Ackerley Prize for literary autobiography, amongst others.

About this title

Review:

A persuasive and stimulating book. -- Martin Amis

All who glibly generalise about the no-man's-land between terrorism and multiculturalism should read this articulate and impassioned book. -- Simon Jenkins, Sunday Times

Captivating, and terrifyingly honest ... a wake-up call to
monocultural Britain, it takes you into the mind of young fundamentalists,
exposing places in which the old notion of being British is defunct.
-- Observer

Husain's account is not sensationalist, tending more to
understatement than to hyperbole ... A complete eye-opener. -- David Aaronovitch, The Times

Insightful and gripping -- Sunday Times

Synopsis:

When I was sixteen I became an Islamic fundamentalist. Five years later, after much emotional turmoil, I rejected fundamentalist teachings and returned to normal life and my family. I tried to put my experiences behind me, but as the events of 7/7 unfolded it became clear to me that Islamist groups pose a threat to this country that we - Muslims and non-Muslims alike - do not yet understand. Why are young British Muslims becoming extremists? What are the risks of another home-grown terrorist attack on British soil? By describing my experiences inside these groups, the reasons I joined them and how, after leaving I recovered my faith and mind, I hope to explain the appeal of extremist thought, how fanatics penetrate Muslim communities and the truth behind their agenda of subverting the West and moderate Islam. Writing candidly about life after extremism, I illustrate the depth of the problem that now grips Muslim hearts and minds. I will lay bare what politicians and Muslim 'community leaders' do not want you to know. This is the first time an ex-member openly discusses life within radical Islamic organisations. This is my story.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0141030437
• ISBN 13: 9780141030432
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288