The Threat of Radical Islam

These books do not necessarily represent the views of Focus on the Family, but we feel that they are good resources to provide more insight into the topic of the Islamic fundamentalist threat to America.

Obsession: Radical Islam's war against the West, Wayne Kopping (HonestReporting, 2006). Using unique footage from Arab television, this outstanding DVD documentary reveals the parallels between the Nazi movement of World War II and the hate-mongering of today's Islamic radicals, their incitement of global jihad and their goal of world domination.

Answering Islam: A Christian-Muslim Dialog. A massive apologetics Web site that includes wide-ranging articles presenting Christian answers to Muslim challenges and leveling quite a few challenges to Islam itself.

Epicenter: Why the current rumblings in the Middle East will change your future., Joel Rosenberg (Tyndale, 2006). If you could only read one book, this treatment of current world events in terms of the approaching End Times conflict would be the one.

The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud from Tradition to Terror, Stephen Schwartz (Doubleday, 2002). A sympathetic history of Islam that distinguishes its mainstream tradition from the radical offshoot struggling for control of the whole Muslim world, by the journalist who introduced the term "Islamic fascism."

Healing the Broken Family of Abraham: New Life for Muslims, Don McCurry (Ministries to Muslims, 2001). A guide to understanding the Islamic psyche with special emphasis for Christian workers who want to share Christ's love with Muslims.

From 9/11 to 666: The convergence of current events, biblical prophecy and the vision of Islam, Ralph W. Stice (ACW Press, 2005). A former missionary in Muslim lands explains how radical Islam may connect a whole lot of prophetic dots.

Londonistan, Melanie Phillips (Doubleday, 2006). A fearless study of how Britain has allowed itself to become the European base for international radical Islamic groups, with a set of proposals about what Britain must do to overcome this situation.

The Truth about Muhammad, Robert Spencer (Regnery, 2006). A warts-and-all portrait of the Prophet of Islam, drawing out what his life implies for reforming Islam and repulsing Islamic terrorists.

The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims, Robert Spencer (Prometheus, 2005). A collection of papers by different writers focusing upon Muslim treatment of non-Muslim minorities down through the ages.

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam, Robert Spencer (Regnery, 2005). An excellent survey of Islamic history and beliefs, asking the most challenging questions that most other scholarly works dare not ask.

The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Knopf, 2006). A sweeping narrative history of the events leading to 9/11, a groundbreaking look at the people and ideas, the terrorist plans and the Western intelligence failures that culminated in the assault on America.

Jihad in the West: Muslim conquests from the 7th to the 21st centuries, Paul Fregosi (Prometheus, 1998). An antidote to the politically correct spin on Christians and Crusaders, this book is an engrossing factual account of the immense and little-known Islamic military invasions of Europe and the major players who led them.

Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladdin in the Third Crusade, James Reston, Jr. (Doubleday, 2001). Bringing to life a rich pageant of legendary characters, a respected historian's account of the Third Crusade is a grand telling of an epic battle that shaped the course of history.

Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America, Yossef Bodansky (Prima, 2001). A comprehensive account of the events in a once-promising engineering student that turned him into a cold-blooded leader of radical Islam.

Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I renounced jihad for America, Israel and the war on terror, Nonie Darwish (Sentinel, 2006). An insider's account of Islamic life, especially valuable for her tracing of radical hatred and anger to dysfunctional family systems.

American Jihad: The terrorists living among us, Steven Emerson (Free Press, 2002). A journalist's sobering look at the network of terror cells in the United States from Florida to Boston to Denver to Houston.

Jihad Incorporated: A guide to militant Islam in the U.S., Steven Emerson (Prometheus, 2006). Radical Islamic groups have established a worldwide "conglomerate" that has operationally autonomous "subsidiaries" operating in the United States through networks of terrorist cells, charities, front companies, advocacy groups, think tanks, Web sites, mosques and theological organizations.

Infiltration: How Muslim spies and subversives have penetrated Washington, Paul Sperry (Nelson, 2005). Terror-enabling Muslims masquerading as "moderates" have insinuated themselves into the very fabric of American society, taking advantage of our blind trust and gaining footholds in our government, political system, workplace and military.

Why I Left Jihad: The root of terrorism and the rise of Islam, Walid Shoebat (Top Executive Media, 2005). A former Palestinian terrorist tells of his experiences with Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.

Why We Want to Kill You: The Jihadist Mindset and How to Defeat It, Walid Shoebat (Top Executive Media, 2007). Why reasoning and understanding don't work against the onslaught of radical Islam—and what does work.

Unholy War: America, Israel and Radical Islam, Randall Price (Harvest House, 2001). A concise, fascinating look at the problems and players in the Middle East, the history behind the headlines and the biblical hope of Jerusalem's future.

Whose Promised Land? The continuing crisis over Israel and Palestine, Colin Chapman (Baker, 2002). A good resource to help understand the land conflict between Jews and Palestinian Arabs as well as its roots in 4,000 years of history, theology and politics.

Islam and the Bible: Why two faiths collide, David Goldmann (Moody, 2004). An accessible layman's introduction to the differences between Christianity and Islam.

The Qur'an and the Bible: In the light of history and science, Dr. William Campbell (Middle East Resources, 2002). A more comprehensive and technical treatment of the same topic.

A Concise History of the Middle East, Arthur Goldschmidt, Jr. (Westview, 1998). A college-level introductory text covering the beginnings of Islam to the present, with helpful resources including glossary and chronology.

What Went Wrong? Western impact and Middle Eastern response, Bernard Lewis (Oxford University, 2002). The dean of Middle East studies examines the anguished reaction of the Islamic world as it tries to understand why things have changed, how they have been overtaken, overshadowed and dominated by the West.

The Middle East: A brief history of the last 2,000 years, Bernard Lewis (Touchstone, 1995). Actually, any of Lewis' dozen or so books on Islam and the Middle East are well worth reading.

The Closed Circle: An interpretation of the Arabs, David Pryce-Jones (Harper & Row, 1989). This classic explores the contrast between Western values and Muslim society with special insights on the key values of shame and honor.

The Middle East Conflict, Stephen P. Adams (Alpha, 2003). Part of the series of Christian Family Guide books produced by the Complete Idiot's Guide people, this is a primer designed for use in the home and family in easy-to-follow format.

---