Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid

An essential examination of the roots of fundamentalist rage in Central Asia, from the acclaimed author of Taliban and Descent into Chaos. Ahmed Rashid, whose masterful account of Afghanistan's Taliban regime became required reading after September 11, turns his legendary skills as an investigative journalist to five adjacent Central Asian Republics--Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan--where religious repression, political corruption, and extreme poverty have created a fertile climate for militant Islam. Based on groundbreaking research and numerous interviews, Rashid explains the roots of fundamentalist rage in Central Asia, describes the goals and activities of its militant organizations, including Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda, and suggests ways of neutralizing the threat and bringing stability to the troubled region. A timely and pertinent work, Jihad is essential reading for anyone who seeks to gain a better understanding of a region we overlook at our peril. Editorial Reviews "A complicated tale that becomes more so in the wake of America's war on"terrorism"..and Rashid is the right person to tell it.... A nuanced picture of an increasingly important part of the planet." -The Boston Globe "Rashid has written another masterful commentary on the troubled region.... [Jihad] combines the research of a skilled investigative journalist with an academic's clear-headed and weighty analysis." -The Financial Times "In an age when people are groping fo quick explanations and easy solutions, Jihad presents something more valuable: tools for understanding a problem of real complexity and incredible urgency." -The Christian Science Monitor - From the Publisher Journalist Ahmed Rashid, an expert on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, looks at five key spots in that troubled region: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Krygyzstan, and Tajikistan, determining how dire the threat of militant Islam is in each. - Vito F Sinisi For many years now,Ahmed Rashid has been the journalistic interpreter of the changing nature of Islam in Central Asia. He has always been ahead of the curve,and America's war on terrorism makes his new book more important than ever. - Robert D. Kaplan Jihad is but the latest of Ahmed Rashid's insightful books on religion and politics in South and Central Asia. It would be welcome at any time but is critical reading today. A must read for policymakers,scholars,the media,and informed citizens. - John L. Esposito [A] masterful commentary. . . combines. . . research of a skilled investigative journalist with an academic's clear-headed. . . analysis. . . [T]he best we have. -Financial Times (London) - Justin Marozzi . . .[A] fine study. . . Rashid. . . treats the five separate 'stans'. . . [and] their various Islamist movements. . . -Foreign Affairs - L. Carl Brown Rashid['s]. . . tour d'horizon is a tour de force,illuminating one of the murkier regions of the world. -Washington Post Book World - Peter Bergen [An] eye-opener on a region many Americans. . . may known only through National Geographic. . . This is first-class reporting. -San Jose Mercury News - Pete Carey [T]he first good, hard look at the region's Islamic movements . . . [D]eserves the attention of policymakers and interested everyday readers alike. - The Nation A compelling account of Islamist movement that has spread like wildfire in Central Asia's repressive regimes...[Rashid] makes it vividly real. -Wall Street Journal - Adrian Karatnycky A complicated tale . . . and Rashid is the right person to tell it. -Boston Globe - Scott Bernard Nelson As the events of September 11 showed, neglected areas of the Islamic world are feeding grounds for international terrorism. And as Rashid, author of the best-selling Taliban, shows in this important work, Islamic fundamentalism is gaining ground in Central Asia as well as it did in neighboring Afghanistan. Until 1991, the five Central Asian countries Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan were part of the Soviet Union. As Rashid discloses, the decade since then has seen a region grown increasingly despotic and impoverished, even though the countries are rich in oil. He offers brief histories of the five countries that make up Central Asia before launching into the rise of Islam. The story line Rashid skillfully weaves is relatively straightforward: Islamist groups, barely tolerated during the waning days of the U.S.S.R., experienced a revival after Communist strictures against religion were lifted. Forced to go underground as post-Communist leaders used repression to ensure their own survival, these Islamist groups "would eventually become radicalized and violent" and outsiders from the Arab world further radicalized them. The strongest group, with ties to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida, emerged in Uzbekistan and has been brutally repressed by President Islam Karimov. Rashid pointedly focuses on how the United States has looked the other way regarding Karimov's human rights abuses as Uzbekistan has offered support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism. Without international pressure on these regimes to follow human rights standards and end the corruption that has left the societies poor, Rashid argues that Central Asia could become the world's next tinder box. (Feb.) Forecast: Rashid has proven he deserves attention and readers. He will probably get media time, but the reading frenzy about the roots of terrorism could be waning, and this book's sales may not match those of Taliban. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly