Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion (Critical Studies on Islam Series)

Rating:
Summary: A good, thought provoking read, albeit controversial.
Review: I very much enjoyed _Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion_. It was insightful and often thought provoking to the point of being disturbing. It was the first book on political Islam that clearly explained that some Shi'a *literally* regard Israel and the United States as literally satanic polities, that is as Satan's cat paws in contemporary geopolitics. Intermediate and advanced American students of Shiism, political Islam, Lebanese, or Israeli history stand to gain from Saad-Ghorayeb's book so long as the reader is politically liberal or moderate. Middle East scholars and news junkies should seriously consider adding the book to their libraries. On the other hand, conservatives and neo-conservatives as well as any Americans with a touchy sense of patriotism may get too angry to actually finish.


If You have read less than six books on the Middle East and less than two on Islam then do not read _Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion_ ... yet.

If you think that Bernard Lewis is a convincing centrist in Middle East studies, but a bit too forgiving, do not read _Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion_.

If you hate everything ever written by the quisling John Esposito, do not read _Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion_.

If Fox is your major news source, do not read _Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion_.

OTHERWISE read _Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion_.