The Islamist
Penguin, April 2009
The astonishing true story of one man's journey to Islamic fundamentalism and back
Though raised in a devout but quiet Muslim community in London, at sixteen Ed Husain discovered an intriguing political interpretation of Islam known as Islamism. Lured in by its ambitiously fundamentalist tenets, Islamism quickly became the center of his life. He organized controversial events, mingled with radical figures, and recruited fellow Muslim youths for the Islamist cause. Five years later, after considerable personal turmoil, he rejected those same principles and tried to return to a normal life. But he soon realized that Islamic fundamentalism poses a threat that most people -- Muslim and non-Muslim alike -- simply don't understand, and decided to tell his story.
Based on firsthand experiences and written with pervasive clarity, The Islamist delivers a rare inside glimpse of the devious methods used to recruit new members, and Husain offers profound insight into the appeal extremism has for young Muslims in the Western world.
This is a lesson that cannot be ignored.
paperback | ISBN: 9780143115984 | Publication Date: April 2009
Reviews:
"This captivating and terrifyingly honest book is . . . a wake-up call."
--The Guardian (London)
"Persuasive and stimulating."
--Martin Amis
"The Islamist
could not be more timely . . . Husain's is a disturbing picture . . .
In a wake-up call to monocultural Britain, it takes you into the mind
of young fundamentalists"
--Observer
"A
courageous memoir . . . explosive"
--Evening
Standard
"The
Islamist should be prescribed
like medicine. Whatever your prejudices, it will eat into them like
acid"
--Daily
Telegraph
"A revealing
and alarming account"
--Guardian
"Gripping . . . far
more than just an arresting testimony of a mind freeing itself from
the shackles of extremism. It is an extraordinarily written memoir of
growing up in the Eighties and Nineties, with moving family vignettes
and lyrical passages . . . compelling"
--Mail
on Sunday
"The
penetrating insight of a former insider . . . A uniquely well-
informed guide to the netherworld of British Islamism . . . a
riveting personal narrative"
--John
Gray, Literary Review
"Unique
. . . openly and frankly discusses life inside radical Islamic
organizations and crucially reveals important warnings about the
future of Islam . . . It is also a call to ordinary Muslims to
reclaim their faith"
--Asian Leader
"Explains the appeal of extremism for an intelligent young
mind and is an intensely personal protest against political
Islam"
--Guardian
"A shocking exposè of life inside London's spreading
Islamist groups"
--London
Paper
"An impassioned plea for tolerance . . . Anyone
interested in how extremist Islam has established its grip on this
country should read this insider account from a former radical"
--Metro
"Provides telling
insight"
--Daily
Express
