Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 696 pages
• Published by: Sage Publications, Inc
• Edition: 2nd Edition February 17, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1412927226
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1412927222
• Book Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 2.5 pounds

Product Review


"I am very favorably impressed with this book. The author is well informed and an great writer. The recommended readings, Web sites, boxes, tables and the like provide very attractive features. There is an abundance of very good historical and current examples. I would adopt this book for my courses and look forward to its publication." -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Review


The updated Second Edition of Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues is an great purchase for both college-level reference holdings and for assigned reading for college-level courses on social issues. Added here is a new chapter on religious terrorism, reviews of new material on gender terrorism and criminal businesses, updates on pedagogy, and a format which includes test questions, amps from the book, and more on both a CD-ROM and an accompanying web site. Plenty of examples from events around the world pepper surveys which cover the politics, economics, and social foundations of international terrorist experiences. (CALIFORNIA BOOKWATCH 20061012)

"The best stand-alone text for university courses." (Maryann Batsakis 20070412)

"Gus Martin's Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues is the best stand alone comprehensive textbook for university courses. Its 696 pages cover the spectrum of all issues involved in studying terrorism . . . Each chapter is organized pedagogically, with opposing viewpoints and issues for classroom discussion." (Dr. Joshua Sinai 20070416)

"Understanding Terrorism sets the standard as a textbook and baseline for anyone who desires to increase their real world knowledge of terrorism. It is an enlightening piece to a most difficult puzzle." (Major General Jack A. Davis 20070419)

"Let me say that this book is one of the most comprehensive works on the matter that I have ever had the pleasure of reading." (Timothy N. Cash )

Reader Reviews
"Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues," Second Edition, by C. Augustus "Gus" Martin, over 14 Chapters, addresses terrorism from multiple perspectives: the political right and left, state and non-state, religious and secular, criminal and non-criminal. Each chapter is supported by end notes and the book contains an appendix for maps, one for historical examples, and a glossary/index. There is no bibliography. Chapter 6, "Violence in the Name of Faith: Religious Terrorism," pages 182-217 devotes a section to "Understanding Jihad as a Primary Religious Motive: An Observation and Caveat" which is covered on pages 187-188. Martin makes the following observations: (1) "One such misunderstanding is the common belief that the concept of "holy war" is an underlying principle of the Islamic Faith. Another misunderstanding is that Muslims are united in supporting jihad. This is simplistic and fundamentally incorrect. Although the term "jihad" is widely presumed in the West to refer exclusively to waging war against nonbelievers, an Islamic jihad is not the equivalent to a Christian Crusade" p. 187. (2) "It is permissible - and even a duty - to wage war to defend the faith against aggressors. Under this type of jihad warfare is conceptually defensive in nature; in contrast the Christian Crusades were conceptually offensive in nature" p. 188. "Holy war" is not an underlying principle of Islam, but as a strategic theme within Islam, "jihad" is. Within the Koran, the Haddiths, and the Sunna, less than ten percent of the discussion is on the greater jihad (personal striving) while the remaining ninety percent is on the lesser jihad (warfighting). Martin fails to identify or discuss the combat, combat support and combat service support obligations of jihad contained in Islamic Law (the Koran, the Haddiths, and the Sunna) and clarified in Islamic legal texts such as "Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law" p. 599-605, "The Distinguished Jurist's Primer" (Vol 1 and 2) p. 454-487, and "Riyad-us-Saliheen" p. 976-1016. Martin states that jihad is defensive while the Crusades were offensive. A reading of the above legal texts gives insight to the term "defensive." In war, unbelievers are offered three alternatives: Conversion, subjugation and payment of the jizya, or war. A refusal to submit is an offensive act and the resulting combat is, from the Islamic perspective, defensive. Martin fails to inform the reader of this key distinction and its implications. With regard to the Crusades, Martin fails to tell the reader that the First Crusade was a delayed response to Islamic expansion and the capture by Islam of 1/3 of the Christian lands. Islam's strategic offense triggered Christianity's strategic defense: the First Crusade. Martin states that "The Five Pillars are faith, prayer, zakat (alms or charity), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the hajj (pilgrimage) to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for those who are able" p. 202. A check of the index fails to reveal a more substantive discussion on zakat that should have told the reader that there are eight categories of disbursement in zakat, three of which support jihad: Those fighting in the way of Allah; those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and travelers needing money. Of these three obligatory categories of disbursement, the most significant is "Those Fighting For Allah" which is defined by "Reliance of the Traveller", p.272, as "Those engaged in Islamic military operations for whom no salary has been allotted in the army roster; Given enough to suffice them for the operation even if affluent of: weapons, mounts, clothing, expenses, and for the duration of the journey, round trip, and the time they spend there. Current interpretation and practice has been to provide expenses in supporting such person's family during this period." Martin fails to explain to the reader that zakat (almsgiving in Islam) is an asymmetrical warfare funding mechanism. The failure to more fully develop the discussion on jihad outlining the combat, combat support and combat service support obligations Islamic Law imposes on Muslims, the failure to carefully characterize and define the term "defensive" in the context of "defensive jihad", the failure to articulate the offensive expansion triggering the First Crusade, and the failure to fully explain the true nature of zakat (almsgiving) seriously undermine the value of "Understanding Terrorism" as a credible reference.