From Secularism to Jihad

"The modern political idea of "jihad"--A violent struggle against "pagan" or unIslamic regimes - is essentially the brainchild of one man whose writings have become a manifesto for radical political Islam. Using the evolution of Sayyid Qutb's life and writings, Musallam traces and analyzes Qutb's alienation and subsequent emergence as an independent Islamist within the context of his society and the problems that it faced." "Qutb's controversial writings have had a significant impact on young Islamists in Egypt for decades after his death and global jihadist Islamists for the past quarter century. Since September 11, 2001, the West has dubbed Qutb "the philosopher of Islamic terror and godfather ideologue of al-Qaeda." This is the first book to examine his life and thought in the wake of the events that ignited the War on Terrorism."--Jacket.