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The Secret History of Al-Qaeda
Abdel Bari Atwan; Abacus, an imprint of little, brown Book Group, Brettenham House,
Lancaster Place, London WC2E 7EN. Pound 8.99
Inside the World of militancy – Presentation of the author’s first-hand knowledge of
Al Qaeda and its leaders, the result of years of observation
This book is certainly an important contribution to the growing body of literature on the Al Qaeda. Where the book disappoints is in its failure to stir the internal Muslim discussion on the phenomenon of fundamentalist terror that could in the long term damage the ‘ummah’ as much as any other community. Almost everyone knows about Osama’s claim that he embarked on his ‘jihad’ because the West was, in his view, inflicting incalculable harm on Muslims all over the world. The United States became willy-nilly the target of his hatred since it backed the Zionist state. Further down the line, Osama was to add to his litany of grievances and take on the US military presence in Saudi Arabia during and after the 1991 Gulf War, the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq. That there is an asymmetry between the powerful West and a weak Arab world cannot be refuted either. But neither Osama nor anyone else has been able to explain how the ‘Salafi jihad’ against innocent civilians all across the globe can be the solution to this existential problem. As the example of Sri Lanka approves, terrorism cannot shake even relatively small states and society from their purpose. As history since 9.11.2001 shows, the Salafists are not in a position to mount the kind of tsunami-force wave of terrorist attacks that might conceivably push the juggernaut of course. In seeking to explain the popularity of Osama and his like in the Arab world, the author says that they are seen as symbols of resistance. But in this book at least Atwan fails to dig deeper into the thesis by which the ‘jihadists’ try to justify themselves. He does not raise the question whether the ‘jihad’ can ever by itself raise the ‘ummah’ to a status of equality with other civilization. Too many Arab commentators too often fail to point out that the ‘jihad’ is a recipe for disaster not salvation. The author visited the Al Qaeda leader in the Tora Bora caves in 1996 and found him to be polite, austere, dedicated and even amiable. The man might well possess these qualities but he also propagates killing on a large scale and has neither put himself or any of his numerous sons in the forefront of “martyrdom” operations. In failing to put Osama in perspective, the author only succeeds in showing the terror mastermind in a softer light than he deserves to be in.
Kesava Menon
The Hindu – July 10, 2007.
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Pilgrims Publishing
New Release
Public Relations in the Digital Era
K.M. Shrivastava
ISBN 81-7769-478-2 397 pages Hardcover 5˝" x 8˝" Rs 495
ISBN 81-7769-523-1 397 pages Paperback 5˝" x 8˝" Rs 300
The art of persuasive communication, which is popularly known as Public Relations, has been practiced in different forms since times immemorial. The rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka are the oldest surviving examples found in India. The convergence of communication technologies in this digital era, has influenced all professions, particularly those that depend on communication like Public Relations (PR). It has changed dramatically from its early days and the process is continuing. Public Relations in the Digital Era looks at the current state of the art, and would prove essential reading for managers, PR professionals and students of management and public relations.
The author, K.M. Shrivastava, a media professional, is a Professor at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. He started teaching Public Relations in 1987. A member of the International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) from 1996–2004, he has been active in many other professional organizations and has been a visiting scholar at the University of Canberra.
His books on media include News Reporting and Editing (1987), Radio and TV Journalism (1989), Media Issues (1992), Media Towards 21st Century (1998), Broadcast Journalism in the 21st Century (2005), Media Ethics: Veda to Gandhi and Beyond (2005), and News Agencies from Pigeon to Internet (2006).
To order please contact:
Mr Rakesh Jaiswal
Pilgrims Book House
B 27/98 A-8 Nawabganj Road,
Durga Kund,Varanasi 221010
Tel: 91-542-6544060, 91-542-2314060
Fax: 91-542-2312456
e-mail: pilgrimsbooks@sify.com, pilgrimssales@sify.com
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