Understanding Radical Islam: Medieval Ideology in the Twenty-First Century

In the early twenty-first century, perhaps no political ideology has become more important – yet less understood – in the Western world than Radical Islam or Islamism, the fundamentalist ideology that holds the jihad or «Holy War» against infidels as the ultimate service to God and the highest obligation of every Muslim. Understanding Radical Islam outlines and discusses the major tenets, segments, developments, problems, and contradictions surrounding Islamism and its impact on global politics in the twenty-first century. The book details the people, policies, and events associated with Islamism, as well as the cultural clashes between Islamism and the West. Understanding Radical Islam should be a major addition to any collegiate class in Middle Eastern politics, political theory, and ideology.

The Author: Brian R. Farmer received his Ph.D. in political science from Texas Tech University, where his major field of study was comparative politics with an emphasis on conflict between the developed West and lesser developed countries. Dr. Farmer has authored six other books, more recently focusing on political ideologies and ideological conservatism. He is currently Professor of Social Sciences at Amarillo College.