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Against Us: The New Face of America's Enemies in the Muslim World
In 2002 Jim Sciutto began filing in-depth reports on the Middle East for ABC News. Now, after nearly 100 assignments in Muslim countries, Sciutto brings back this disturbing the Al-Qaeda–inspired view of an evil America bent on destroying Islam has moved from the fringes to the mainstream. Today, a surprising number of America’s enemies are not wild-eyed fanatics, but moderates—often middle-class and well educated, frequently young, many motivated by political convictions more than religious belief.
Sciutto profiles a cross-section of people in the Arab world, including a former Al-Qaeda jihadi turned electrician in Saudi Arabia, a Jordanian college student willing to risk his life by killing Americans in Baghdad, a Christian woman who supports Hezbollah in Lebanon, bitter pro-democracy advocates in Egypt who feel betrayed by the United States, and British-born Muslim terrorists living in London. The result is an alarming portrait of the depth and scope of anti-American sentiment.
Opposing America has become the unifying rallying cry for a rapidly growing pan-Arab nationalist movement. Conspiracy theories abound as Muslims begin to feel they are targeted by America, their political autonomy sabotaged. The Iraq war has become one of the most powerful recruiting tools for enemies of the United States.
Yet there is hope for America to turn the tide of hate. Sciutto talks with a young female student in Afghanistan who is cautiously optimistic that the United States will not fail her country in the rebuilding effort—and with a reformed jihadi in London who is finding ways to counsel young British Muslims away from their hatred of America. Democratic ideals are still held in high esteem, even as America’s perceived actions against Muslims are not.
Against Us is an urgent wake-up call for all Americans—and in particular those charged with formulating U.S. foreign policy—to rebuild relations with the Arab world and restore confidence in American values.
Sciutto profiles a cross-section of people in the Arab world, including a former Al-Qaeda jihadi turned electrician in Saudi Arabia, a Jordanian college student willing to risk his life by killing Americans in Baghdad, a Christian woman who supports Hezbollah in Lebanon, bitter pro-democracy advocates in Egypt who feel betrayed by the United States, and British-born Muslim terrorists living in London. The result is an alarming portrait of the depth and scope of anti-American sentiment.
Opposing America has become the unifying rallying cry for a rapidly growing pan-Arab nationalist movement. Conspiracy theories abound as Muslims begin to feel they are targeted by America, their political autonomy sabotaged. The Iraq war has become one of the most powerful recruiting tools for enemies of the United States.
Yet there is hope for America to turn the tide of hate. Sciutto talks with a young female student in Afghanistan who is cautiously optimistic that the United States will not fail her country in the rebuilding effort—and with a reformed jihadi in London who is finding ways to counsel young British Muslims away from their hatred of America. Democratic ideals are still held in high esteem, even as America’s perceived actions against Muslims are not.
Against Us is an urgent wake-up call for all Americans—and in particular those charged with formulating U.S. foreign policy—to rebuild relations with the Arab world and restore confidence in American values.
- GenresNonfiction
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
11 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Jim Sciutto
5 books70 followersJim Sciutto is CNN’s Chief National Security Correspondent and CNN Newsroom Anchor based in Washington, D.C. He reports, anchors. and provides analysis across the network's programs and platforms on all aspects of U.S. national security, including foreign policy, the military, and the intelligence community. Prior to joining CNN, Sciutto served as ABC News' senior foreign correspondent. - Amazon bio
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 13, 2008
Relevant, interesting and informative. Helped expand my knowledge on Arab nations and what and why they think the way they do about Americans.
June 4, 2020
A real good book from 2008 (right before the elections)that shows how some of the Muslim countries feel about Americans. Let's just say they don't like us 1 bit... There is a lot of hatred towards us, because of our realationship with Israel and their feeling that America is just full of white people... I don't think they are fond of blacks either and there is also a lot of hatred towards any Latino's that are in the army because they feel like they are in there only to gain US citizenship.
But it is a great read in understanding how most of them feel about us and what our government has done to deserve it at times. Some of the stuff that is said from these people is really out there with their conspirsacy's though. It would be even better if the author was able to write a follow up with some of these people he interviewed after Bush left office and Osama took over for the next 4 years. Has is gotten any better?
But it is a great read in understanding how most of them feel about us and what our government has done to deserve it at times. Some of the stuff that is said from these people is really out there with their conspirsacy's though. It would be even better if the author was able to write a follow up with some of these people he interviewed after Bush left office and Osama took over for the next 4 years. Has is gotten any better?
September 22, 2009
This was a great book! It gave me a better understanding why the Muslim world hates, and I mean HATES the United States. I don't agree with their way of thinking and their rationale behind their hate, but at least I understand. I do think it's ironic that the world they hate is the world they try and move to in order to get a better education, better opportunities and better life. It amazes me. I could go on and on but then my own opinions would overshadow the point of this book. If you want to know why they hate us, I'd read this. This is written by a US reporter and the materials he uses is taken from multiple interviews with people in the Middle East and even in the United States. It's an eye opener.
April 10, 2012
Very interesting set of stories of various people in the Middle East. Helped me realize what a complicated perception of the US there is in other parts of the world. Shows how different your perspective can be because of the information you have available to you and the things that are most important to you. The chapters on Egypt and Iraq are getting pretty out of date. I thought the chapters on Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon were especially interesting. Overall I thought it was a good book that I had a hard time putting down once I got going.
July 27, 2019
I really liked how the author wrote and interviewed people from different countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and UK. I can see how people in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan don’t like America because they were expecting for their country to get better overnight with basic necessities such as electricity, schools, roads, etc but it did not happen. I also became aware that not everyone in the Middle East hate Americans and that not everyone believes in jihad.
May 10, 2009
This is a must read for any foreign policy aficionado. Sciutto did an excellent job interviewing ordinary people from all walks of life in the Middle East, and helps the reader understand what people in that part of the world really think of the U.S. in a post 9/11 era. Highly recommend this book.
November 19, 2008
How people in the Middle East view the US
May 19, 2009
Oh, man.
This book proved extremely difficult to get through. I had trouble finishing a chapter a night. It was heavy reading, to say the least, and not at all pleasant in the facts it contained. Against Us is a book that strives to explain why the Middle Easterners dislike America; essentially, the reasoning behind the almost palpable loathing that seems to come from there. At this, the book succeeds.
Sciutto goes country by country, interviewing people and examining the situations they find themselves in. By the end of the book you feel that you have a better understanding of the people's perspective, whether you agree with it or not, and more important, you have an idea of what America needs to do in order to save its largely unblemished image.
This book proved extremely difficult to get through. I had trouble finishing a chapter a night. It was heavy reading, to say the least, and not at all pleasant in the facts it contained. Against Us is a book that strives to explain why the Middle Easterners dislike America; essentially, the reasoning behind the almost palpable loathing that seems to come from there. At this, the book succeeds.
Sciutto goes country by country, interviewing people and examining the situations they find themselves in. By the end of the book you feel that you have a better understanding of the people's perspective, whether you agree with it or not, and more important, you have an idea of what America needs to do in order to save its largely unblemished image.
November 19, 2012
This book made me angry . . . couldn't finish all of it!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews