Inside Jihad: How Radical Islam Works, Why It Should Terrify Us, How to Defeat It

Inside Jihad

How Radical Islam Works

Why It Should Terrify Us

How to Defeat It

Dr. Tawfik Hamid

Enduring respect for Dr. Tawfik Hamid and early praise for Inside Jihad

"Inside Jihad is terrific. I wish I had read it 15 years ago when we were trying to decipher radical Islam. I would have made it required reading for my Intel colleagues. It is concise, convincing, compelling—and chilling. I also value Inside Jihad so much that I am constantly rereading it. It has become a staple resource kept handy, and I will refer to it regularly in my consulting and speaking events. It is authoritative, definitive and wonderfully politically incorrect!"

—Porter Goss,

former Director, CIA

A fascinating look at the driving forces behind radical Islam that provides new insight on how to confront its growing threat around the world today.

—Senator John McCain

Dr. Hamid's knowledge about radical Islam is crucial to understanding and defeating it.

—Ambassador R. James Woolsey,

former Director, CIA

"Inside Jihad is an important resource for anyone interested in learning about the thought processes of the jihadists."

—William Esposito,

former Deputy Director, FBI

A riveting and informative work. Dr. Hamid's understanding of how psychological indoctrination creates a radical Islamist is exceedingly useful.

—Dr. Phyllis Chesler, Emerita Professor, Psychology;

author, The New Anti-Semitism and An American Bride in Kabul

Inside Jihad is a must-read!

—Dr. Zudhi Jasser, founder and president,

American Islamic Forum for Democracy;

author, A Battle for the Soul of Islam:

An American Muslim Patriot's Fight to Save His Faith

It's a must-read!

—Stephen K. Bannon,

Breitbart News

A well-written and highly practical guide to understanding and countering radical Islam. It not only defines the threat posed to free society but also contains a compelling, firsthand view of the radicalization process. Dr. Hamid’s unique background bolsters the credibility of his insight into the problem and his strategy for a solution.

—Glen Roberts, Editor,

TheReligionofPeace.com

"[Inside Jihad] is a welcome and honest take on the Islamist menace afflicting the world today."

—Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch

and best-selling author of 15 books on Islam

Without hesitation, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the mind and motives of the jihadist terrorist. Dr. Hamid has done a great service to all persons interested in protecting civilization from barbarism.

—U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry

Dr. Hamid's book ought to be read by anyone interested in fighting terrorism. It is timely and insightful.

—Former U.S. Representative Frank R. Wolf

[Tawfik] Hamid is a great scholar whose knowledge of terrorism is extremely valuable. There is no doubt about his first-hand experience and depth of knowledge. He is truly a treasure.

—Lt. Gen. Claude M. Mick Kicklighter,

U.S. Army (retired)

"Everyone in the world affected by the threat of radical Islam needs to read Dr. Hamid’s book Inside Jihad to understand the dynamics of this dangerous ideology."

—Maj. Gen. Paul E. Valley,

U.S. Army (retired)

Buy this book. Read this book. Refer to this book. Share this book ... I've read and reviewed counter-jihad classics by bestselling experts [but if] someone said to me, 'I want to read just one book about jihad,' I'd give that reader Dr. Hamid's book.

—Danusha Goska,

Frontpage Mag

A very important book that draws on [Dr. Hamid's] experiences with jihad in his native Egypt.

—Frank Gaffney,

Secure Freedom Radio

Anyone concerned about the proliferation of radical Islam must read this amazing book. Inside Jihad not only provides a genuinely comprehensive and historical understanding of how the West has allowed radical Islam to flourish, but more important it also outlines how to defeat it. Dr. Hamid should know better than anyone else. A former member of an Egyptian Islamic terrorist group that eventually merged with al-Qaeda, he made an extraordinarily courageous and unprecedented decision to denounce the terrorist organization once he saw the reality of the horrors of jihad. Long before 9/11, he became one of the world’s experts on the true dangers of radical Islam. Dr. Hamid has made it his life's mission to reform Islam by trying to deprogram jihadists from their world of hate and death. He understands Islam in ways that will mesmerize you. Don’t wait. Read this book now.

—Steven Emerson, Executive Director,

The Investigative Project on Terrorism

Inside Jihad is a vital contribution. Anyone who cherishes freedom, faith and family will benefit from engaging its pages ... I urge all concerned with how to overcome the threat of radical Islam to give [it] a well-deserved read.

—Thomas P. McDevitt,

Chairman, The Washington Times

Dr. Tawfik Hamid’s book is most timely for [anyone] awakening to the violence and terrorism perpetrated by Islamists since 9/11; to read and come to grips with the jihadist mentality. As we should have learned by now, counterterrorism efforts by law-enforcement agencies and the military have their limits. Worse, a full-scale war against Islam and Muslims is exactly what al-Qaeda and ISIS and their ilk want, a war that turns civilizational between the West and Islam, fulfilling the apocalyptic, end-of-the-world scenario they embrace. What urgently needs to be understood is the theological underpinning of Islamism so it can be discredited as a perversion of Islam. Dr. Hamid has performed a great service by deconstructing this theology and showing how Islamists have selectively twisted the meaning of the Quran to justify their hatred of infidels – Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, non-believers and agnostics – as well as Muslims who reject their jihadism. He has shown how the Islamist quest for a Sharia-based society is driven by the psychology of nihilism and a violent rejection of the modern world. Containing and effectively nullifying Islamist theology will be this century’s greatest challenge, for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and Inside Jihad can fortify anyone who commits to this daunting task.

—Dr. Salim Mansur,

Associate Professor of Political Science,

University of Western Ontario

It is not easy to speak the truth. I have paid a high price for doing so, but I have never felt alone. Dr. Tawfik Hamid is one of the few who has inspired me since I started. He stands as solid as an oak tree, to face an ugly ideology that has destroyed its followers and is destroying the whole world today. Dr. Hamid is a brave and an honest man whom I feel honored and privileged to befriend. I salute and wish him the best!

—Dr. Wafa Sultan,

author of A God Who Hates

Dr. Tawfik Hamid has had a front-row seat to radical Islam and has firsthand knowledge of the dangers posed by the growing global jihad movement. His voice must be heard.

—Van D. Hipp, Jr.,

Chairman, American Defense International, Inc.

Mandatory reading for everyone who wants to understand the reality of the threats the world faces. You must know your enemy to defeat your enemy, and Dr. Hamid knows the enemy as only a former jihadist could know.

—David G. Major, retired FBI executive,

founder of the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies

Dr. Tawfik Hamid understands the jihadist mind because it was once his mind. He knows the way in and the way out. This makes his analysis indispensable in terms of its depth of spiritual insight. Anyone interested in countering this demented religious ideology should read this book.

—Robert R. Reilly,

author of The Closing of the Muslim Mind

Dr. Hamid ... has stood up fearlessly to the tsunami of Islamic extremism to share his tolerant vision of the immediate need for Islam’s reformation – to truly become a religion of peace. He has risked himself and his family to fanatic, horrific violence for this crime. If there is to be hope for a beginning to a better world, and for future generations to be spared endless religious war with massive casualties, then Dr. Hamid is the answer – the personification, the embodiment – of that hope. Should we ignore him, and others like him, and not support their message to the fullest extent, then we shall reap the whirlwind. I am eminently proud, and greatly honored, to call this man my friend. I am grateful to, and blessed by, the Good Lord to think of him as my brother.

—Dr. Robert Katz,

Executive Director, The Intelligence Summit

Inside Jihad is a must-read for anyone seeking to better understand radical Islam, the reasons why this malignancy has found a fertile environment within the Muslim world, and the failures of the West in crafting an effective counter-narrative.

—Dr. Paul Coyer, International Institute of Strategic Studies and

The Institute of World Politics, writing in Providence magazine

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

I did not use traditional translations of the Quran, because many do not convey a precise understanding of the verses. Instead, I translated the Quranic text from Arabic (my mother tongue) into English in a way that conveys how the verses are understood and interpreted by most Islamic scholars. In addition, because there are no formal rules for transliterating Arabic into English, I used the most common spellings found in Google searches. I hope by doing so I have made it easier for readers who wish to delve more deeply into the background of the names and concepts discussed in the text.

Inside Jihad

How Radical Islam Works; Why It Should Terrify Us; How to Defeat It

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Tawfik Hamid – All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 9780990808985

Published in the United States of America

By D Street Books

A division of Mountain Lake Press

Cover design by Michael Hentges

Cover photo: Medyan Dairieh/ZUMA Wire

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a data base or other retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Reviews

Copyright

Dedication

Foreword

Introduction to the Updated Edition

A Brief Overview of Islam

Chapter 1: The Making of an Islamic Terrorist

Childhood

Egypt’s Revival of Islam

Adolescence

Medical School

A New Recruit

Phases of Indoctrination

LEARN HATRED

SUPPRESS CONSCIENCE

DESENSITIZE VIOLENCE

Tactics of Indoctrination

SUPPRESS CRITICAL THINKING

PREACH SUPERIORITY

ACCEPT A STATE OF WAR

OFFER SEX AND PARADISE

THREATEN HELL

MODEL PROPHET MUHAMMAD

RESTRICT EMOTIONAL OUTLETS

‘Doctor Ayman’

Second Thoughts

Summing Up

Chapter 2: Myths and Misconceptions about Islamism

How Did We Get Here?

Root Causes

POVERTY

DISCRIMINATION

LACK OF EDUCATION

ABSENCE OF DEMOCRACY

WESTERN COLONIALISM AND IMPERIALISM

THE ARAB–ISRAELI CONFLICT

U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

The Meaning of Jihad

Jihadists ‘just want to be heroes’

‘Al-Qaeda resembles the IRA’

Chapter 3: The Failure of Islamic Societies

Background: Sufi and Salafi

Sufism

Salafism

Secular Islam

Salafism Explodes (Wahhabis Become Wealthy)

Jihad: from Umma to Individual

Passive Terrorism

Passive Support

Passive Denial

False Uproar, Deafening Silence

Theological Deception

Shifting the Blame

Who is a ‘Moderate Muslim?’

Oppression of Women

Chapter 4: The Failure of the West

Lack of Reciprocity

Political Concessions

APOLOGIES

ACQUIESCENCE

DENIAL

UNWISE IMMIGRATION POLICIES

Weak Military Responses

The Product of a Lack of Resolve

The Problem of Moral Relativism

A Criticism of One Particular Author

And a Political Transposition

Chapter 5: Toward Islamic Reformation

Obstacles to Reformation

Information, Transmission, Perception

Inadequate Criteria for Virtue

Lack of a Peaceful Theological Foundation

Rigorous Hatred

How to Reform Islam

DEEMPHASIZE NON-QURANIC WRITINGS

REEXAMINE THE HADITHS

PREACH THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘AL-’ (‘THE’)

PROMOTE THE RELATIVITY OF THE QURAN

EMPHASIZE THE HUMANE SIDE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD

ACCEPT JEWS AND JUDAISM

JUSTIFY GOOD VALUES RIGOROUSLY

Chapter 6: A Strategic Plan to Defeat Radical Islam

Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?

Fighting Terrorism in ‘Brainistan’

If Not Death, What?

The Future of Islam

Who Can Solve the Problem of Radical Islam?

Toward a Solution

Conclusion

Glossary

Recommended Books

Appendix 1: Islamic Terror Attacks Worldwide – June to July 2015

Appendix 2: Selected Muslim Opinion Poll Results

Appendix 3: The Amman Message

A Poem by Dr. Maha Hamid

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Endnotes

Dedication

To the soul of my father, Mohamed Abdelhamid, M.D.,

to my dear wife, Maha, to my son, Mada,

and to my daughter, Mariam

Foreword

As we watch the most recent news and video reports of the acts of barbarism conducted by ISIS, we in the civilized world are shocked, sickened and confounded by a threat that appears to be growing out of control. Any rational person wants to know how such evil could exist in the modern world. Who are these people? What motivates them? Is there something in Islamic culture that prompts such behavior? Can these atrocities be stopped?

For the past several years, like many I’ve wondered about these and other essential questions regarding the growth of radical Islam. America’s foreign policy and military solutions appear inadequate in stemming the rising tide of ISIS and related organizations. Moreover, ISIS leaders publicly state their intent to spread influence throughout the world in pursuit of imposing Sharia law under an Islamic Caliphate. Their primary means of advancement is death and destruction of any person, group or institution that attempts to resist.

One assumes that moderate Muslims are waiting in the wings to rise up, denounce the videotaped beheadings of group after group of Christian and Muslim victims, and demonstrate their revulsion en masse. And yet few, if any, such counter actions seem to occur within Islam.

Is the world headed toward a protracted war of civilizations? What happens if Islamic radicals, who promote suicide bombings, beheadings, unspeakable oppression of women and annihilation of ancient religious sites, acquire access to nuclear weapons?

At this critical 21st-century moment, I consider it vital for elected officials, law enforcement, pastors, business leaders, scholars, teachers, community leaders and parents to become educated – fast and with sufficient depth – about what drives radical Islamists. To that end, this book is an essential resource.

Having just completed Inside Jihad by Dr. Tawfik Hamid, my orientation has shifted from a limited understanding to clarity. He provides a roadmap for the West that is accessible, concise, current and sufficiently thorough to enhance any serious reader’s frame of reference.

Dr. Hamid brings a unique perspective to the challenge of diagnosing radical Islam and prescribing a solution to this modern-day scourge. The combination of his Egyptian and family roots, fluency in Arabic and English, and his medical training and expertise in cognitive psychology, coupled with his in-depth exposure to Islam with profound knowledge of the Quran and related teachings, has equipped him to guide the reader with a most reliable hand.

Inside Jihad begins with the author’s personal experience, as a medical student in Cairo, of being recruited by a radical Islamist group. As in his earlier works, Dr. Hamid explains the psychological phases and tactics by which terrorists are transformed into killers without conscience. Make no mistake, the clash of civilizations being played out in the media through gruesome images begins with an internal change occurring in the hearts and minds of those recruited. Dr. Hamid makes a compelling contribution to our understanding of the psychic cancer that drives such inhumane behavior. His training as a physician and psychologist, along with his own experience of entering and exiting the world of radical Islam, provide deep insights that would otherwise be unattainable.

Dr. Hamid continues with an overview of the myths and misconceptions about Islamism that exposes the fallacies of the most popular analyses so often bandied about by media pundits. In contrast to them, his well-researched and documented analysis is articulated with the care of a physician, the insight of a psychologist and the depth of a scholar.

In the final two chapters, the good doctor examines the quest for Islamic reformation and provides an outline for a strategic plan to defeat radical Islam. Dr. Hamid penetrates the source material in the Quran and Islamic hadiths that drive the dark, murderous behavior of ISIS, al-Qaeda and others, and he provides a lucid alternative that is bound to make a difference.

As demonstrated by the popularity of the author’s own website, which casts a new interpretive light on the Quran for young Muslims who seek an alternative to the fearful, rage-filled juggernaut of Islamism, Dr. Hamid has won widespread support because he has dared to take the fight to the source. In this great war of ideas that brings terror closer and closer to home, Inside Jihad is a vital contribution. Anyone who cherishes freedom, faith and family will benefit from engaging its pages.

In short, Dr. Hamid provides a concise yet thorough critique of Islamic and Western societies alike. The foggy notions perpetuated by America’s politically correct dominant media and policy cultures are dissipated with radiant sunlight through the analysis and thoughtful leadership Dr. Hamid delivers. I urge all concerned with how to overcome the threat of radical Islam to give Inside Jihad a well-deserved read.

Thomas P. McDevitt

Chairman, The Washington Times

Introduction to the Updated Edition

In the time since I first published this book seven years ago, the world has become a far more dangerous place – in many ways just as I predicted. The response of the West generally, and the United States in particular, continues relatively unchanged and futile. We have spent trillions of dollars fighting the War on Terrorism with almost no perceptible positive results. In fact, the problem is spreading and getting worse. Islamism is on the rise. Organizations such as ISIS in the Levant (so far) and Boko Haram in Nigeria have expanded their territory and are committing ever more terrible acts ever more regularly. Radical Islam has become an undeniable threat to the world.

We are confronted today with this seemingly intractable scourge. Some tragic souls have experienced it in person; most encounter the spectacle on their video screens. We are haunted by images of 9/11, of the Bali nightclubs, of the subways in Madrid and London, and of the school children in Beslan and Nigeria. We witness daily misery in myriad locations. Radical Islamists are now regularly recording their horrific deeds – beheading innocent people, burning people alive in cages – and posting macabre videos of the atrocities on the Internet to billions of people.

All of this has led decent people to ask questions and seek answers:

What kind of people could commit these horrors?

What is their purpose?

What is propelling this unspeakable behavior, and who is to blame?

What can we do about it?

In response, a wave of books is emerging about Islam and Islamic terror, many of which have helped to raise awareness. Not long ago, words such as Sharia and Wahhabism would have been met with blank stares. Now, these and other related terms have become more familiar. Nevertheless, there remains profound confusion about Islamism. Many non-Muslims seem mystified by the ideological cancer that has infected the body of the approximately 1.5 billion adherents to Islam.

Critics have leveled the charge at me that I am anti-Islam because I dare even to raise questions about the state of the faith. Nothing is further from the truth. I am a Muslim, and I consider much in Islam to be beautiful and worthwhile. But the way Islam is taught today in most communities is perverted and destructive. Radical Islam could only have arisen in an environment that prepared the ground for its evil seeds to sprout. I am convinced, therefore, that Islam desperately needs a reformation – or, at least, an extensive reinterpretation – and that such change is entirely possible. I have been working intensely toward this goal, and elsewhere in these pages I will outline the key elements of an Islamic reformation that I hope will be transformative.

The history of the 20th century bestowed upon us the carnage of two World Wars, the unspeakable horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, the equally horrific Soviet labor camps and the Chinese Re-education through labor camps. The century also produced genocide and ethnic cleansing in places as disparate as Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia. And the last century of the second millennium also saw the rise of Islamic terrorism. If the world has gained anything from those experiences, we would expect it to be the capacity to diagnose ideological and societal illnesses, to confront them and defeat them. Sad, but that expectation leads to disappointment. In our new century, events such as the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan testify to a persistent record of inaction, indifference and misdirected blame; of cowardice, apathy and feigned ignorance.

So, too, is the case with jihad.

In writing this book, I hope to offer my personal experiences – which included intimate involvement with radical Islam – in an attempt to clarify the problem of Islamic terrorism and propose ways to neutralize it.

Yes, the subject matter is complex, and I know how time can be limited for most readers, what with television, books, radio and newspapers all competing with blogs, email, texting and social media to monopolize our spare moments as never before. But understanding radical Islam is essential, perhaps to our very survival. So I have produced a text of modest length in the hope that as busy as you are you will find the time to read it.

If you would like to probe this topic a little more deeply, I have provided additional material in the back of the book to help you. There is a Glossary of important terms and notable individuals mentioned in the text, as well as a Recommended Books list and three appendices containing valuable background. I hope you will find it all useful.

Tawfik Hamid

May 2015

A Brief Overview of Islam

This book is not about Islam – it is about Islamism and how to combat it. Nevertheless, you cannot confront the problem of Islamism without a basic understanding of the Muslim faith. Within these pages, you will encounter various Arabic words and Islamic concepts, so you must gain some familiarity with them to make sense of my arguments.

For basic definitions, please see the Glossary.

Obviously, I can’t provide a complete and detailed exposition of Islam. For that role, I will recommend some excellent books later on. Indeed, many commonly available encyclopedias provide adequate coverage of Islam if you lack the time or inclination to examine the subject in depth. You might already be knowledgeable about Islam; if so, I commend your commitment to understanding. Here, I will cover only the main structural components of the religion and those terms that are critical to my arguments.

The word Islam means submission to God, or Allah. It is a monotheistic faith that originated in the early 7th century with Prophet Muhammad. Its primary text is the Quran, which Muslims believe is the literal Word of God transmitted to the Prophet by the archangel Gabriel. The revelation of the Quran to Muhammad is marked by Islam’s holiest month, Ramadan.

Muhammad was born in the Arabian Peninsula, an area holy to Muslims. They call it, in Arabic, the Hejaz. The region encompasses the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, two cities visited every year by millions of Muslims as part of their obligatory pilgrimage, known as the hajj.

Initially, Prophet Muhammad faced persecution for his new faith. As time passed, he was able to gather adherents and control the city of Medina, where he established his authority. From there, he fought battles against the armies of Mecca with mixed results. Eventually, by employing a strategy of constriction and direct assault, Muhammad overcame the city with little struggle. During that time, a quarrel arose between the Jews of Medina and Muhammad’s followers, which led to the quick destruction of the Jewish community. This destruction, in combination with further conversions and conquest, enabled Muhammad to consolidate power.

By the time of his death, in 632, Muhammad ruled the entire Hejaz. After his death, Muslims selected a prince, or caliph, to lead an Islamic government called the Caliphate. Historians distinguish between several caliphates, which were headquartered in various cities and were the source of some conflicts, particularly the conflict between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam, which continues to this day.

Under the first caliphs – and remarkably, in less than 150 years – Islam exploded across the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe in what is known as the Islamic Conquests. In that short span of time, many native languages and religions disappeared; they were swallowed up by Arabic and