Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia

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Penguin, Dec 31, 2002 - History - 320 pages
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.
 

Contents

Central Asias Islamic Warriors
1
The Past as Present
15
Islam Underground in the Soviet Union
32
The First Decade of Independence
57
The Islamic Renaissance Party and the Civil War
95
Namangani and the Islamic Movement
137
Namangani and Jihad in Central Asia
156
The New Great Game? The United States Russia
187
Central Asia and Its Neighbors
208
An Uncertain Future
228
The Call to Jihad by the Islamic Movement
247
Glossary
263
Index
269
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About the author (2002)

Ahmed Rashid is a journalist who has been covering Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia for more than twenty years. He is a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, Far Eastern Economic Review, Daily Telegraph, and The Nation, a leading newspaper in Pakistan. His #1 New York Times bestseller Taliban has been translated into more than twenty languages.

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