A hard-hitting and sober analysis of Islamic groups and their role in international politics.
"De Waal, a well-known activist and scholar of human rights in Africa, has put together a detailed, provocative book on the 1989, 2003 period, when Sudan and Somalia served as a laboratory for political Islam. . . . Recommended. General readers and undergraduate collections." —Choice , June 2005
". . . a scholarly and critical analysis of Islamism in Sudan and the Horn of Africa, linking it with its roots in Egypt and unravelling its ideological, sociological and political facets." —Patrick Gilkes, BBC World Service
"Essentially, this work . . . is a significant effort that will further our understanding of the mechanisms of change that have been the lot of North East Africa since the twilight of the twentieth century." —Amidu Olalekan Sanni, Lagos State University, Studies in Contemporary Islam , Vol. 10.1-2 Sp & F 2008
Militant Islam is a powerful force in the Horn of Africa, and the U.S. war on terrorism has thrown the region and its politics into the international spotlight. Since the 1990s, when a failed U.S. military mission was called in to maintain order, Islamist organizations, with heavy sponsorship from Saudi Arabia, have multiplied and established much-needed health and education services in the region. However, despite the good that they are clearly providing, these organizations are labeled “terrorist” by the U.S. Islamist extremists have been found to be responsible for the deadly embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and the attack on an Israeli jet in Mombasa. Since September 11, 2001, global effort has been concentrated on bringing these groups to their knees. Focusing on how Islamist movements have been viewed post-9/11 and how the U.S. agenda is being translated into local struggles in the region, this book is an important step toward understanding the complex dynamics that enfold the region.
Contributors are Roland Marchal, A. H. Abdel Salam, M. A. Mohamed Salih, and Alex de Waal.
Alex de Waal is a director of Justice Africa, a London-based organization that supports human rights, peace, and democracy in Africa. He is author of many books and articles, including Famine Crimes: Politics and the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa (IUP, 1997).
Distribution: North America, including Canada. Japan is an open market.
Publication date: 9/20/2004
