
From Afghanistan and Iraq to
Europe and the United States we are engaged in one of the most heated
wars of all time. In this incisive new book, the man that has been
called--the only one to understand the mind of the jihadist--shows that
the most important battle is actually taking place in the hearts and
minds of the world's population. This is the war of ideas, where
ideology is the most powerful weapon of all. Phares explores the
beliefs of two opposing camps, one standing for democracy and human
rights, and the other rejecting the idea of an international community
and calling for jihad against the West. He reveals the strategies of
both sides, explaining that new technologies and the growing media
savvy of the jihadists have raised the stakes in the conflict.
And most urgently, he warns that the West is in danger of losing the
war, for whereas debate and theorizing rarely translate into action
here, ideas and deeds are inextricably linked for the forces of jihad.
"Walid
Phares has long been among the most knowledgeable and incisive scholars
of the Middle East--its peoples, its cultures, its religions, and its
radical movements."
"The work of Professor
Walid Phares is a beacon that helps us to see and understand the extent
of the Jihadist threat the World is facing. Nobody who reads his
analysis will have any doubt left about the existential peril posed by
the radical Islamists and Jihadi terrorists to democracies. A must
read."
"Dr. Phares's knowledge
of the War of Ideas and the complex conflicts of the Greater Middle
East is exceptional. His ability to communicate intellectually among
various cultures is noted regionally and internationally."
"If you want to
understand the War of Ideas being waged by Jihadists, Walid Phares is
your man."
"Dr. Walid Phares shows
us clearly who is waging the War of Ideas and what their goals are. His
book is a pioneering work in history and politics. It shows clearly how
Jihadism has become a strategic threat to democracy worldwide."
"Professor Walid
Phares's The War of Ideas is a must read on the
geopolitics of the war on terror. His book puts fifty years of Cold War
and Jihadi offensives against democracies in an ultimate global
perspective. This is a central resource for classrooms, newsrooms, and
war rooms."
"Walid Phares
understands the conflict between Jihadism and democracy and explains it
like no one else. The War of Ideas is a must have for the public and
decision-makers alike."
"Walid Phares is the
leading expert on the War of Ideas between Jihadism and democracy. His
book is a must read for all."
"Professor Phares is the
leading analyst of the War of Ideas. His ability to see through the
strategies and moves of the Jihadists in their quest to crumble
democracies is unparalleled. This book will change your
way of seeing the war on terror."
"Walid
Phares is both an incisive scholar and a skilled communicator. His
insights into the psychologies and pathologies of the Middle East are
unrivaled."
"Walid Phares makes a
compelling case for why winning the War of Ideas is indispensable to
winning the war on terrorism, and he points the way toward how to do
so. It is a must read not only for policy makers and those who advise
them, but for everyone with a stake in the fight of our generation."
"The Jihadists began
their War of Ideas against democracies decades ago. Walid Phares's book
is a unique analysis of the roots and future of this terror campaign
against the free world."
"Democracy is locked in an existential struggle
with Jihadism and Walid Phares' voice is one of our wisest.
It is crucial that it be heard. Dr. Phares understands like no one else
the depth of Jihadi ideologies and how they have developed long-term
strategies to counter and crumble free societies, both in the West and
among young rising democracies in the Middle East."
"Dr. Walid Phares is the leading authority on the
War of Ideas between totalitarian forces and the rising democracies in
the Greater Middle East. His profound understanding of radical
ideologies and pluralist societies makes his scholarship unique in the
West and the Arab and Muslim world alike. His book is a must read."
"For twenty-five years, Walid
Phares's writing and public speaking have shown a deep, masterful
knowledge of both Western and Islamic cultures. As an Arab Muslim
reformer I admire his leading ability to understand and explain the war
of ideas between radicalism and democracies."
"I have followed and
respected Dr. Walid Phares' academic work and reasoned commentary for
years. He has a unique ability to articulate the central ideological
conflict in the struggle against Jihadism. Dr. Phares consistently
stands out as an invaluable resource and authentic voice in the global
effort to understand exactly who the enemies of democracy are, what
they believe, and how we can defeat them. The book is a must read."
"As an Arab
Muslim academic from Jordan I have witnessed Professor Walid Phares
engaging in powerful debates with intellectuals from both the West and
the Arab Muslim world. His knowledge of both cultures gives him the
ability to understand and explain the War of Ideas between radicalism
and democracy.
"Those who believe that
the war between radical Islamism and everybody else is about 'oil' or
'the Israeli occupation' or the insults of nineteenth-century
colonialism need to read this book, and think again. No one knows more
about the ideology of jihad than Walid Phares, who
has been watching it and studying it for 25 years, and no one can
afford to be ignorant of the things that Walid Phares knows. The
War of Ideas is an indispensable guide to the
world’s most dangerous political
problem."
"Walid Phares has an
uncanny ability to encapsulate and explain clearly the central issues
in the confrontation between the civilized world and the violent
radicals who threaten it. In so doing he reminds us why our
civilization is worth defending."
"Walid Phares provides
considerable insight into the strategy and operational tactics of
radical Islamists. With his considerable knowledge of Middle East
history and politics as well as of terrorist strategies, Dr. Phares is
uniquely able to sort through the considerable noise so often generated
in the media and academia. His analysis is refreshingly clear and
cogent, and not only experts but general readers will gain from his
observations."
"Professor Walid Phares
is teaching the world about one of the greatest threats in history.
Only a mind equally immersed in two civilizations and their ideologies
can produce a book like The War of Ideas."
"With his book The
War of Ideas, Professor Walid Phares has become the third
global teacher on the Jihadi conflict with democracy, along with Samuel
Huntington and Bernard Lewis. His new book gives crucial answers never
provided before to classrooms and the public. It is a benchmark
contribution to comparative politics."
"Phares's Future
Jihad is among the most insightful books about the nature of
this global threat I have ever read. Its lessons are not to be ignored
by free societies. Phares's contribution to our understanding of the
War of Ideas between Jihadism and democracy is unique."
"The War of Ideas is a
crucial battleground in the global war with Jihadi
terrorism. Democracies must wage this ideological struggle with keen
intelligence and relentless determination. Walid Phares's new book sets
out a strategic plan for success. It is essential reading, and is
highly recommended." 