Abdul Bah

Caught Between: Insight of Muslims and Others in the West About the War on Terror Abdul Bah

Many people in the West have concluded that Islam is inherently a very violent religion, based largely on the upsurge of radical Islam and its willingness to use indiscriminate violence to drive its message. What is more worrying to most though is the seemingly "tacit" approval of most Muslims of this strategy manifested by the lack of strong condemnations from the broader Muslim community. With its close proximity to the Middle East and North Africa and its cultural and commercial ties to the US and the Americas, Europe has naturally become the new logistical center of radical Islam. The book gives an insight of mostly Muslim residents of four major European cities-Amsterdam, Paris, Munich and London-on the causes and effects of terrorism, their role in that struggle, where things are likely headed and some possible solutions to what some have described as a "clash of civilizations". All exchanges between the author and respondents are outlined-straightforward and unfiltered-as they occurred, with some relevant background information to help clarify the particular situation being discussed. It is worth noting that there is no support or indictment of any religion from the author's perspective although it is very interesting to find out how religion is used to justify-sometimes implicitly-the views of the respondents.