Gilles Kepel takes us into the world of the students, professionals, workers, and unemployed who are caught up in the Islamic movements of Egypt. Events that have riveted world attention—the first World Trade Center bombing, assassinations in Beirut, the attempt on the life of the Pope, the assassination of Sadat, and, in a new preface, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001—are illuminated by this penetrating study.
Muslim Extremism in Egypt The Prophet and Pharaoh, With a New Preface for 2003
About the Book
Reviews
"Perhaps more than any other, this book gives the background necessary to understand the purpose and mindset of today’s religious radicals. In this classic study of the roots of Islamic extremism, Gilles Kepel demonstrates the pivotal role of the Egyptian connection. He skillfully traces the story of Islamic anti-modernism in Egypt from the early part of the 20th century to its tragic involvement in some of the most violent incidents in recent years, including the terrifying attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993 and 2001. Kepel’s treatment is even-handed and sensitive, though the world he uncovers is the dark side of today’s global culture."—Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious ViolenceTable of Contents
Preface to the 2003 Edition
Preface The Roots of Islamist Movements
Introduction Journey to the Ends of Islam
1. From One Ordeal to Another: 1954-66
In the Beginning Were the Camps
The 1965 'Plot'
2. 'Signposts'
Sayyid Qutb, Author and Martyr
Islamicism or Barbarism
What Is to Be Done?
The Ulema Intervene
Appendix: Works of Sayyid Qutb
3. The Society of Muslims
And God Came to Shukri
The New Hegira
Living Together in the Prophet's Way
Death of One of the Ulema
4. 'Al-Da'wa': Legalists Despite Themselves
The Purse-Strings
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Making Good Use of Parliament
5. The Vanguard of the 'Umma'
The Student Revolt
The •university of Large Numbers'
In the Shadow of the Regime
Changer la Vie
How to Be a Good Muslim
For the Good of the Copts
June 1981: Checkmate
6. The Sermons of Sheikh Kishk
A Sheikh's Childhood
The Friday Sermon
7. To Assassinate Pharaoh
The Modem Tartars
Holy War Against the Infidels
Carrying Out God's Orders
Killing Christians
To Assassinate Pharaoh
Conclusion
The Religious and the Political
Is the Islamicist Movement Inevitable?
Facets of a Utopia
Afterword: Ebb and Flow, 1981-1985
The Carrot and the Stick
Depoliticizing Islam
Electoral Strategies
Modes of Preaching
Sources
Chronology: 1928-1992
Index