The Muslim brotherhood : the organization and policies of a global Islamist movement /

A well-researched, objective volume on the Muslim Brotherhood would be extremely useful to experts and students alike. This volume falls short despite some interesting, opinionated contributions chronicling certain French, German, and British Muslim organizations, and some of the Brotherhood's activities in Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. Hamas is included, but not the branches of the Sudan, the Gulf States, Iraq, or Libya. Furthermore, the uneven chapters are often biased, even libelous, as when Alyssa Lappen tarnishes many notable Muslim American spokespersons and organizations. Lappen blackens through insinuation, leaping from individuals' associations and former employment to current activities and blurring distinctions between the Brotherhood, the Muslim Students Association, and the "Islamization of knowledge" enterprise. Guido Steinberg describes Ibrahim el-Zayat as the "gray eminence" of the German Islamists when Zayat has repeatedly denied affiliation with the Brotherhood. Ana Belen Soage is preoccupied with Muslim paranoia and support for terrorists in her coverage of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, arguably the most popular Muslim preacher in the Sunni Islamic world. She fails to mention Qaradawi's many condemnations of terrorism, nor is there any effort to convey his views on Islamic doctrine. Barry Rubin's initial insights are offset by the incorrect statement that the Muslim Brotherhood supported "in principle" al-Qaeda's attack on the US. Summing Up: Not recommended. S. Zuhur Institute of Middle Eastern, Islamic and Strategic Studies