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القافلة : عبد الله عزام وصعود الجهاد العالمي
هذا الكتاب هو سيرة الجهادي الفلسطيني الشيخ عبد الله عزام وصعود الجهاد العالمي، بدءا من مولده إلى علاقته بأسامة بن لادن وحتى اغتياله عام 1989.
816 pages, Hardcover
Published March 1, 2021
41 people are currently reading
674 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Hegghammer
10 books98 followersThomas Hegghammer is a Norwegian academic who has studied jihadism since before 9/11. He is senior research fellow at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) and adjuct professor of political science at the University of Oslo. His latest book is The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad.
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March 2, 2020
The "Arab Afghan" movement that Abdallah Azzam helped create during the 1980s grew from humble origins into something that shook the foundations of the world order. This book is a very meticulous reconstruction of his life and work. Azzam was a charismatic and scholarly radical Islamic intellectual. He wrote many books and gave lectures around the world, including in the United States. But unlike many others today who merely talk, he was also a fighter who risked his life on battlefronts several times during wars in Palestine and Afghanistan. Until his assassination in 1989, Azzam was probably the most popular radical Islamist figure in the world.
Azzam is widely considered a moderate when it comes to the world of radical Islam and that understanding is generally true. But the word "moderate" does a lot here. It is true that he opposed international terrorism and attacks against civilians. By Salafist standards he was even something of a feminist, kind to his wife and daughter and supportive of womens inclusion in his cause. He was a genius in terms of personal charisma as well as his ability to read, write and synthesize information for a political cause. But Azzam was also a fierce chauvinist. He hated the West uncritically did not counsel kindness towards minorities, even if he tolerated them. He was anti-Semitic throughout his life. Although he opposed terrorism as a rule at times he made contradictory statements about the lawfulness of violence abroad.
In short, yes, Azzam was more moderate than al Qaeda and Islamic State. But that is mostly because of how extreme and unhinged such groups have become in the decades since his death. Had he lived, it is unclear whether Azzam would have evolved to support such groups. I tend to doubt it mainly because he never supported these kinds of tactics even in his youth and people generally tend to mellow with age rather than become more extreme. Azzam does bear responsibility though for undermining traditional religious authorities that banned violence unless it was directed by a state. He helped create the phenomenon of the ungovernable and ultimately unaccountable foreign fighter, even though he tried unsuccessfully to control it during his life.
If you are a nerd for this subject, you will probably want to read this book. It is not written for the general public but rather for specialists with an already well-developed understanding and interest in the subject of global Islamic militancy. I found much that was useful in it and am impressed with the author for the amount sheer effort that it took to reconstruct the life of such a man in such detail. I do not think that Abdallah Azzam is the type of person that we need in the 21st century to create justice in the world. But I understand better who he was and where he came from.
Azzam is widely considered a moderate when it comes to the world of radical Islam and that understanding is generally true. But the word "moderate" does a lot here. It is true that he opposed international terrorism and attacks against civilians. By Salafist standards he was even something of a feminist, kind to his wife and daughter and supportive of womens inclusion in his cause. He was a genius in terms of personal charisma as well as his ability to read, write and synthesize information for a political cause. But Azzam was also a fierce chauvinist. He hated the West uncritically did not counsel kindness towards minorities, even if he tolerated them. He was anti-Semitic throughout his life. Although he opposed terrorism as a rule at times he made contradictory statements about the lawfulness of violence abroad.
In short, yes, Azzam was more moderate than al Qaeda and Islamic State. But that is mostly because of how extreme and unhinged such groups have become in the decades since his death. Had he lived, it is unclear whether Azzam would have evolved to support such groups. I tend to doubt it mainly because he never supported these kinds of tactics even in his youth and people generally tend to mellow with age rather than become more extreme. Azzam does bear responsibility though for undermining traditional religious authorities that banned violence unless it was directed by a state. He helped create the phenomenon of the ungovernable and ultimately unaccountable foreign fighter, even though he tried unsuccessfully to control it during his life.
If you are a nerd for this subject, you will probably want to read this book. It is not written for the general public but rather for specialists with an already well-developed understanding and interest in the subject of global Islamic militancy. I found much that was useful in it and am impressed with the author for the amount sheer effort that it took to reconstruct the life of such a man in such detail. I do not think that Abdallah Azzam is the type of person that we need in the 21st century to create justice in the world. But I understand better who he was and where he came from.
December 26, 2021
القافلة
كتاب مهم عن شخصية مهمة في تاريخ الحركة الإسلامية المعاصرة، إنه عبدالله عزام الذي ولد سنة 1941 في فلسطين، وتخرج سنة 1966 من جامعة دمشق، وحصل على الدكتوراه في الشريعة سنة 1971 من القاهرة، ودرَّس سنة 1973 في الجامعة الأردنية، وهاجر سنة 1980 إلى السعودية، ثم هاجر إلى باكستان / إسلام أباد سنة 1981 وأقام فيها حتى 1986 ثم انتقل إلى بيشاور التي كانت آخر محطاته والتي أغتيل فيها ظهر يوم الجمعة 24 نوفمبر 1989.
ارتبط اسم عبدالله عزام بالجهاد ضد الاحتلال السوفيتي في أفغانستان، وبسبب هذا الحدث ذاع صيته ولمع نجمه لأنه قام بدور مهم وغير مسبوق في هذا الحدث؛ فقد أسس وأدار منظمة مَعنية فقط بتجنيد المقاتلين العرب للجهاد في أفغانستان، وكتب ونشر عشرات الكتب والمقالات التي تحض على المجيء إلى أفغانستان، وسافر وألقى عشرات المحاضرات في العديد من دول العالم الإسلامي والغربي للتوعية بالقضية وجمع التبرعات، وأخيرا حمل السلاح وقاتَل بنفسه في عدة معارك مع المجاهدين الأفغان، فكان نموذجا يملك خليطا نادرا من السمات التي جعلته رائدا قلَّ نظيره في قيادات الحركات الإسلامية المعاصرة.
ما يميز هذا الكتاب عن غيره هو أنه لم يكتفي فقط بسرد تاريخ وسيرة هذا الرجل من ميلاده وحتى اغتياله، مرورا بكل المحطات المهمة والمفصلية في حياته، ولكنه قدَّم نقدا نزيها وموضوعيا ومنصفا لعبدالله عزام وخاصة فيما يتعلق بارتباط اسمه بنشوء حركة الجهاد الدولي واتساعها وجنوحها إلى الراديكالية والعنف غير المنضبط، ومدى مسؤولية عزام عن كل ذلك.
يقول الكاتب في الفصل الحادي عشر "مُنظِّر":
}كانت "خصخصة" عزام للجهاد فكرة خطيرة للغاية، ربما أكثر مما أدرك هو نفسه؛ فبإخبار المسلمين أن يتجاهلوا كل السلطات وينضموا إلى الجهاد؛ ساعد عزام على فتح "صندوق باندورا" من العمل المسلح، لا يمكن السيطرة عليه، تحديدا لأنه قائم على رفض السلطة. وبشكل مثير للاهتمام؛ وقاتل لإرثه التاريخي؛ لم يقدم عزام أية بنية حوكمة بديلة لأولئك الذين جاءوا من الخارج لينضموا إلى الجهاد. يبدو أنه كان يتوقع أن هؤلاء سيذوبون ضمن التمرد المحلي ويطيعون أميره، ولم يخطر بباله أن الأمير المحلي قد يكون ضعيفا، أو قد يكون هناك عدة قادة متنافسين، أو قد يكون المقاتلون الأجانب عنيدين وصعبي المراس. ولن يمر وقت طويل حتى يستشعر عزام تبعات فكرته{.
ويقول أيضا كلاما مهما في ختام الكتاب تحت عنوان "مسؤولية عزام التاريخية":
}لا يمكن أن نحكم على المسؤولية التاريخية لشخص ما بناء على نياته فحسب. هناك عدة أسباب تدفعنا إلى النظر في إرث عزام التاريخي نظرة أكثر انتقادية{.
}يمكن القول إن دعوة أسامة بن لادن إلى حملة إرهاب ضد الغرب تمثل امتدادا طبيعيا لعقيدة القتال الأجنبي التي وضعها عزام. الفرق الأساسي بين عزام وبن لادن هو الحل الموصوف؛ فبينما دعا عزام الناس إلى الذهاب والقتال في تلك المناطق حيث يتعرض فيها المسلمون للاعتداء؛ قال بن لادن إن المسلمين يحق لهم مهاجمة القوى المعتدية في أجزاء أخرى من العالم{.
الخلاصة التي انتهى إليها الكاتب هي أن عزاما يتحمل مسؤولية بعينها عن العنف الجهادي الذي انتشر بعد وفاته.
ولكن، الكاتب لا يُلقي بهذه المسؤولية على عزام وحده، ولكن يشير إلى قدر كبير من المسؤولية أيضا على الحكومات العربية والغربية فيقول في ختام الكتاب:
}لقد أصبحت النزعة الجهادية عالمية بسبب القمع المحلي، هذه هي أهم نتيجة لهذه القصة الطويلة والمعقدة. لقد أنتج عدم قدرة البلدان العربية على دمج الإسلاميين في السياسة الوطنية طبقة من الناشطين الذين بدؤوا في السبعينيات يتطلعون إلى المسرح الدولي كمجال للعمل{.
على الرغم من كبر حجم الكتاب وضخامته التي تجاوزت 800 صفحة إلا أن طريقة السرد الممتعة والمشوقة جعلتني أنتهي منه في أسبوعين فقط! ولا شك أن قدر كبير من الفضل في ذلك يرجع إلى مترجم الكتاب الذي يعتبر الجندي المجهول في هذا العمل الرائع والمهم.
كتاب مهم عن شخصية مهمة في تاريخ الحركة الإسلامية المعاصرة، إنه عبدالله عزام الذي ولد سنة 1941 في فلسطين، وتخرج سنة 1966 من جامعة دمشق، وحصل على الدكتوراه في الشريعة سنة 1971 من القاهرة، ودرَّس سنة 1973 في الجامعة الأردنية، وهاجر سنة 1980 إلى السعودية، ثم هاجر إلى باكستان / إسلام أباد سنة 1981 وأقام فيها حتى 1986 ثم انتقل إلى بيشاور التي كانت آخر محطاته والتي أغتيل فيها ظهر يوم الجمعة 24 نوفمبر 1989.
ارتبط اسم عبدالله عزام بالجهاد ضد الاحتلال السوفيتي في أفغانستان، وبسبب هذا الحدث ذاع صيته ولمع نجمه لأنه قام بدور مهم وغير مسبوق في هذا الحدث؛ فقد أسس وأدار منظمة مَعنية فقط بتجنيد المقاتلين العرب للجهاد في أفغانستان، وكتب ونشر عشرات الكتب والمقالات التي تحض على المجيء إلى أفغانستان، وسافر وألقى عشرات المحاضرات في العديد من دول العالم الإسلامي والغربي للتوعية بالقضية وجمع التبرعات، وأخيرا حمل السلاح وقاتَل بنفسه في عدة معارك مع المجاهدين الأفغان، فكان نموذجا يملك خليطا نادرا من السمات التي جعلته رائدا قلَّ نظيره في قيادات الحركات الإسلامية المعاصرة.
ما يميز هذا الكتاب عن غيره هو أنه لم يكتفي فقط بسرد تاريخ وسيرة هذا الرجل من ميلاده وحتى اغتياله، مرورا بكل المحطات المهمة والمفصلية في حياته، ولكنه قدَّم نقدا نزيها وموضوعيا ومنصفا لعبدالله عزام وخاصة فيما يتعلق بارتباط اسمه بنشوء حركة الجهاد الدولي واتساعها وجنوحها إلى الراديكالية والعنف غير المنضبط، ومدى مسؤولية عزام عن كل ذلك.
يقول الكاتب في الفصل الحادي عشر "مُنظِّر":
}كانت "خصخصة" عزام للجهاد فكرة خطيرة للغاية، ربما أكثر مما أدرك هو نفسه؛ فبإخبار المسلمين أن يتجاهلوا كل السلطات وينضموا إلى الجهاد؛ ساعد عزام على فتح "صندوق باندورا" من العمل المسلح، لا يمكن السيطرة عليه، تحديدا لأنه قائم على رفض السلطة. وبشكل مثير للاهتمام؛ وقاتل لإرثه التاريخي؛ لم يقدم عزام أية بنية حوكمة بديلة لأولئك الذين جاءوا من الخارج لينضموا إلى الجهاد. يبدو أنه كان يتوقع أن هؤلاء سيذوبون ضمن التمرد المحلي ويطيعون أميره، ولم يخطر بباله أن الأمير المحلي قد يكون ضعيفا، أو قد يكون هناك عدة قادة متنافسين، أو قد يكون المقاتلون الأجانب عنيدين وصعبي المراس. ولن يمر وقت طويل حتى يستشعر عزام تبعات فكرته{.
ويقول أيضا كلاما مهما في ختام الكتاب تحت عنوان "مسؤولية عزام التاريخية":
}لا يمكن أن نحكم على المسؤولية التاريخية لشخص ما بناء على نياته فحسب. هناك عدة أسباب تدفعنا إلى النظر في إرث عزام التاريخي نظرة أكثر انتقادية{.
}يمكن القول إن دعوة أسامة بن لادن إلى حملة إرهاب ضد الغرب تمثل امتدادا طبيعيا لعقيدة القتال الأجنبي التي وضعها عزام. الفرق الأساسي بين عزام وبن لادن هو الحل الموصوف؛ فبينما دعا عزام الناس إلى الذهاب والقتال في تلك المناطق حيث يتعرض فيها المسلمون للاعتداء؛ قال بن لادن إن المسلمين يحق لهم مهاجمة القوى المعتدية في أجزاء أخرى من العالم{.
الخلاصة التي انتهى إليها الكاتب هي أن عزاما يتحمل مسؤولية بعينها عن العنف الجهادي الذي انتشر بعد وفاته.
ولكن، الكاتب لا يُلقي بهذه المسؤولية على عزام وحده، ولكن يشير إلى قدر كبير من المسؤولية أيضا على الحكومات العربية والغربية فيقول في ختام الكتاب:
}لقد أصبحت النزعة الجهادية عالمية بسبب القمع المحلي، هذه هي أهم نتيجة لهذه القصة الطويلة والمعقدة. لقد أنتج عدم قدرة البلدان العربية على دمج الإسلاميين في السياسة الوطنية طبقة من الناشطين الذين بدؤوا في السبعينيات يتطلعون إلى المسرح الدولي كمجال للعمل{.
على الرغم من كبر حجم الكتاب وضخامته التي تجاوزت 800 صفحة إلا أن طريقة السرد الممتعة والمشوقة جعلتني أنتهي منه في أسبوعين فقط! ولا شك أن قدر كبير من الفضل في ذلك يرجع إلى مترجم الكتاب الذي يعتبر الجندي المجهول في هذا العمل الرائع والمهم.
May 27, 2022
كان الهدف من قراءة هذا الكتاب كشف لغز اغتيال عبدالله عزام و لكن للاسف خاب أملي مع الاعتذار للمؤلف الذي بذل جهداً مظنياً في استقصاء و تحليل سيرة أشهر قادة الأفغان العرب
ستجد في الكتاب معلومات مكثفة و تحليلاً رصينا لمراحل حياته و موضوع اغتياله كان فوق قدرة الباحث لغياب الكثير من تفاصيل عملية الاغتيال عمداً من الجهات المخابراتية !
للمؤلف كتاب آخر رائع عن العمليات الارهابية في السعودية اسمه " الجهاد في السعودية " و هو من الباحثين المميزين في تتبع و تحليل أفكار و عمليات تنظيم القاعدة
أشكر المترجم عبيدة عامر على التميز و الاتقان في ترجمته
ستجد في الكتاب معلومات مكثفة و تحليلاً رصينا لمراحل حياته و موضوع اغتياله كان فوق قدرة الباحث لغياب الكثير من تفاصيل عملية الاغتيال عمداً من الجهات المخابراتية !
للمؤلف كتاب آخر رائع عن العمليات الارهابية في السعودية اسمه " الجهاد في السعودية " و هو من الباحثين المميزين في تتبع و تحليل أفكار و عمليات تنظيم القاعدة
أشكر المترجم عبيدة عامر على التميز و الاتقان في ترجمته
April 13, 2022
I read this book right after Sayyid Qutb and the Origins of Radical Islamism, where closing chapter mentioned influence of Qutbs teaching on Arab-Afghan Militants after soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and formation of Al-Qaeda (AQ). There was a missing link in how Qutubism , the violent Muslim Brotherhood faction, whose goals were toppling national governments, went global in the form of AQ and start fighting wars of liberation. This missing link was Abdullah Azzam who then influenced islamists across the globe to neglect state borders and wage jihad in faraway countries bypassing the classical authority of head of state to declare Jihad. This detailed researched biopic covers Azzam life in different roles in not-necessarily chronological order with great details of political turmoil's of middle east and Af-Pak. Hailing from a small village in Palestine, al-Silla in suburbs of Jenin and dying a tragic death in Peshawar Pakistan was natures affirmation of his global ambitions.
After 1967 Arab-Israel war dissent grew among members of Muslim brotherhood and the militant narrative within them grew to an extent that most of them were curbed by their respective govts. These hyper zealous and charged militants then found a new haven in Af-Pak region where they can organize and train without state restrictions as in their home countries , have firsthand experience of war at fronts and then this rouge multinational militia will liberate Palestine and other contested Muslim Lands against foreign invasions. Azzam was instrumental in channelizing these Arabs and western/US fighters to Pakistan , where they would organize, get basic military training and then sent to warfronts along with Afghan fighters. But the problem with such anarchist militants is there is no authority that could stop things from getting more radicals, even if Azzam was preparing these Arabs as a defensive force and was considered a moderate among contemporary militants.
All this was made possible by his links in Muslim brotherhood, its Pakistani ideologue partner Jamaat-e-Islami and other pan Islamist organizations as well as with some Afghan warlords like Rabbani ,Haqqani and Sayyaf. All the details of his activities are astonishing as how easily he was allowed to move freely for lectures and recruiting specifically in US more than any country. The role of non-militant charity and relief organizations as front for monetary activities and indoctrination through relief activities is very shameful. Even organizations like OIC who have very negligible achievements on its credit from their manifesto was active to facilitate this global radicalization . This same organization is active once again to lobby for Afghan Taliban to recognized as authentic representatives of Afghans.
His role as a diplomate for global Jihad outshine his work in other capacities. His involvement with Muslim brotherhood from early teen years, his lifelong attachment with teaching and writing and awareness of ground realities with extraordinary oration skills made him acceptable to a wide strata of Islamist Ideologues. He never hesitated to use exclusive Sufi terms like karamat (miracles) if helps his cause of Global Jihad. Although, like Qutb, he was also name-called sufi by some fundamentalists , but his extensive use of supernatural dimension of Afghan war and divine favor for Mujahedeen in both writing and speeches was what influenced militants around the world for the recruitment to afghan war and this legacy continues in modern day Jihadi literature both in print and audiovisuals.
Would recommend to anyone interested in political Islam, religious militancy, middle east in late 20th century , and early Afghan war. This is a meticulously researched and written book from and well informed writer.
March 10, 2025
يعرض الكتاب سيرة الشيخ عبد الله عزام عرضاً تأريخيًّا دقيقاً مستقصياً ما وسعه المصادر بدرجاتها، ليأتي بسيرة لعلها أدق -مع هنات هنا وهناك- ما كُتب عن الشيخ، وما أكثره. وأحسن ما فيه أنه تجاوز المبالغات التي يقع فيها كتبة السير لأسباب مختلفة، وتج��وز كذلك محاولات أقربائه الحثيثة في تصوير الشيخ بطريقة معينة.
وقد بنى المصنف معمار الكتاب بناء مبهراً حقًّا يستفاد منه، فقد عرض حياة الشيخ عبد الله من الطفولة إلى الاغتيال بسلاسة تأخذ بيد القارئ بتؤدة وتريه المعالم السياسية المشكّلة لكل مرحلة والتي كان لها أثر في مسيرة الشيخ، دون انقطاعات أو قفزات، بل يأخذ كل فصل بذيل أخيه حتى يصل إلى مستقر الرحلة، مستشهداً في ذلك كله بكلام الشيخ عبد الله نفسه وأقواله في شتى المسائل، مع مصادر أولية وثانوية كثيرة. ولأنّ الشيخ عبد الله مر بمراحل كثيرة -مجازاً- وأعمال كثيرة شتى -حقيقة- فقد جاء الكتاب عرضاً لكثير من تاريخ الحركة الإسلامية جمعاء وتغيراتها وتقلباتها والمؤثرات التي شكّلت العمل الإسلامي في المنطقة ثم في العالَم. وهذه مزية عظيمة قد تجعل من الكتاب مدخلاً مناسباً لمن يريد القراءة عن الحركة الإسلامية، والجهاد الأفغاني في طوره الأول خاصة، مع قصور في عرض مجتمع العرب لمن يريد فهماً أكمل وأشمل.
ثم عرض في «الخلاصة» الأسباب والسياقات والظروف التي جعلت من عبد الله عزام رمزاً في الحركة الإسلامية والحركة المجاهدة خاصة، وعلاقته بالجهاد العالَمي، وأثره في تشكيله.
لربما لا يقدّم الكتاب جديداً عن سيرة الشيخ لمن عرف حياته وكتبه وأقواله، لكنه سيقدّم له تنظيماً حسناً ومفيداً للمعلومات والأعيان، وأما الذي لا يعرف الشيخ ومسيرته فالكتاب سيغنيه جدًّا من جهة التاريخ.
ومن أحسن ما جاء فيه: تبرئة المجاهدين من فرية أنهم صنيعة الأميركان، ونقض أسطورة الدعم الأميركي.
والمصنف من أحسن الغربيين في هذا الباب، وكتبه وأبحاثه أفضل من غيرها، وكذا نيللي لحود وغيرهما.
ويبقى العيب الذي لا ينفك عن كل الغربيين حين الكتابة عن المسلمين والجهاديين أنهم معطّلوا الروح والحسّ و«أنّ هذا التعطيل المتعمد أو غير المتعمد يحرمه استجابة معينة للحادثة التاريخية، أي أنه يحرمه عنصراً من عناصر إدراكها وفهمها على الوجه الكامل، ومن ثَمّ يجعل تفسيره لها خاطئاً أو ناقصاً» (سيد قطب، في التاريخ.. فكرة ومنهاج، ص ٢٦).
أما الترجمة فركيكة، وفي مواضع ركيكة جدًّا، وفي أخرى تحيل المعنى، وفي أخرى لا يكاد يفهم الكلام.
وقد بنى المصنف معمار الكتاب بناء مبهراً حقًّا يستفاد منه، فقد عرض حياة الشيخ عبد الله من الطفولة إلى الاغتيال بسلاسة تأخذ بيد القارئ بتؤدة وتريه المعالم السياسية المشكّلة لكل مرحلة والتي كان لها أثر في مسيرة الشيخ، دون انقطاعات أو قفزات، بل يأخذ كل فصل بذيل أخيه حتى يصل إلى مستقر الرحلة، مستشهداً في ذلك كله بكلام الشيخ عبد الله نفسه وأقواله في شتى المسائل، مع مصادر أولية وثانوية كثيرة. ولأنّ الشيخ عبد الله مر بمراحل كثيرة -مجازاً- وأعمال كثيرة شتى -حقيقة- فقد جاء الكتاب عرضاً لكثير من تاريخ الحركة الإسلامية جمعاء وتغيراتها وتقلباتها والمؤثرات التي شكّلت العمل الإسلامي في المنطقة ثم في العالَم. وهذه مزية عظيمة قد تجعل من الكتاب مدخلاً مناسباً لمن يريد القراءة عن الحركة الإسلامية، والجهاد الأفغاني في طوره الأول خاصة، مع قصور في عرض مجتمع العرب لمن يريد فهماً أكمل وأشمل.
ثم عرض في «الخلاصة» الأسباب والسياقات والظروف التي جعلت من عبد الله عزام رمزاً في الحركة الإسلامية والحركة المجاهدة خاصة، وعلاقته بالجهاد العالَمي، وأثره في تشكيله.
لربما لا يقدّم الكتاب جديداً عن سيرة الشيخ لمن عرف حياته وكتبه وأقواله، لكنه سيقدّم له تنظيماً حسناً ومفيداً للمعلومات والأعيان، وأما الذي لا يعرف الشيخ ومسيرته فالكتاب سيغنيه جدًّا من جهة التاريخ.
ومن أحسن ما جاء فيه: تبرئة المجاهدين من فرية أنهم صنيعة الأميركان، ونقض أسطورة الدعم الأميركي.
والمصنف من أحسن الغربيين في هذا الباب، وكتبه وأبحاثه أفضل من غيرها، وكذا نيللي لحود وغيرهما.
ويبقى العيب الذي لا ينفك عن كل الغربيين حين الكتابة عن المسلمين والجهاديين أنهم معطّلوا الروح والحسّ و«أنّ هذا التعطيل المتعمد أو غير المتعمد يحرمه استجابة معينة للحادثة التاريخية، أي أنه يحرمه عنصراً من عناصر إدراكها وفهمها على الوجه الكامل، ومن ثَمّ يجعل تفسيره لها خاطئاً أو ناقصاً» (سيد قطب، في التاريخ.. فكرة ومنهاج، ص ٢٦).
أما الترجمة فركيكة، وفي مواضع ركيكة جدًّا، وفي أخرى تحيل المعنى، وفي أخرى لا يكاد يفهم الكلام.
May 21, 2020
In 2013 two young Somali-Norwegian Muslim sisters made the fateful decision to run away from their Oslo home to join the Islamic State group in Syria. After doing so, they sent their distraught dad a copy of one of Abdallah Azzam's religious tracts as a justification for their actions.
Through his copious published writings and disseminated recorded lectures, the two teenage girls are by no means the only ones who have come to find radicalization, at least in some measure, from the Palestinian Islamist ideologue over the years.
But just who was this Azzam, a man who died before these young girls were even born, and what is it about his militant but charismatic message that continues to resonate with his followers to this day? It resonates to such an extent where, in recent years, many admirers (like the Norwegian sisters) have willingly uprooted their lives to travel to the war zones of the Middle East to join a group like ISIS.
In The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad, the first authoritative English-language biography of Azzam, author and noted jihadism expert Thomas Hegghammer does his best to answer this question and many more, cutting through the almost hagiographic nature Azzam's life (and death) has taken on within Islamist circles and the myths and mistruths that still permeate about him for much of the rest of us.
The culmination of more than a decade of work, Hegghammer's The Caravan traces the arc of a man who found himself on the precipice of some of the Middle East's most monumental events of the 20th century; events that, in part, would come to define the region and its environs.
The Caravan is more than simply a biography of Azzam, though. It's also an important overview of the Soviet-Afghan War of the 1980s, in particular the contribution Arab fighters – the so-called "Afghan Arabs" who Azzam was often referred to as the "Father" of – played in the conflict on the side of the Afghan Mujahideen and their role in the eventual outcome.
Without the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the waning days of 1979 and the brutal decade-long war that followed, one could theorize – as Hegghammer does – that Azzam would never have been more than a bit player in the Islamist movement, dedicated, certainly, but without ample opportunity. It was the war that became Azzam's passion and, ultimately, his legacy.
It was through his Services Bureau in Peshawar, the Pakistani garrison town, that Azzam would make a name for himself. He became the face of the foreign jihad in Afghanistan, raising money for the Mujahideen and rallying thousands of young Arabs to the cause, largely through a popular magazine his organization published and a seemingly endless number of speaking engagements throughout the world. Azzam was renowned as a gifted orator.
Peshawar of the time period, where a large bulk of The Caravan takes place, has often been described as being analogous to the bar scene from Star Wars and it rings true in Hegghammer's account. Everybody from al-Qaida's future leadership cadre to the recently converted Cat Stevens makes an appearance, not to mention a plethora of NGOs and spooks of many national persuasions. Consequently, Azzam finds himself surrounded by a veritable who's who of the fledgling international (and increasingly anti-Western) jihadi movement, one that would coalesce to have disastrous consequences in the years ahead, and one that the world is still grappling with on a near daily basis.
Perhaps the greatest enduring myth about Azzam is his ultimate demise. Assassinated in November 1989 in a bomb attack along with two of his sons, Azzam's death remains a mystery to this day. And while Hegghammer lists some compelling suspects, he readily admits we may never know with any degree of certainty.
It's in his death, especially, that Azzam's legacy has become twisted and convoluted to friend and foe alike. He's become a jihadist enigma. Because, as Hegghammer points out, we just don't know how Azzam would have reacted to the rise of international terrorism and its grotesque excesses of violence the world has witnessed with horror for so much of the 21st century.
To grasp the future of the modern jihadist movement, it's important to understand the tangled roots of its past. One cannot truly do so without tussling with Abdallah Azzam and the particular ideology he espoused. The Caravan is a great place to start.
Through his copious published writings and disseminated recorded lectures, the two teenage girls are by no means the only ones who have come to find radicalization, at least in some measure, from the Palestinian Islamist ideologue over the years.
But just who was this Azzam, a man who died before these young girls were even born, and what is it about his militant but charismatic message that continues to resonate with his followers to this day? It resonates to such an extent where, in recent years, many admirers (like the Norwegian sisters) have willingly uprooted their lives to travel to the war zones of the Middle East to join a group like ISIS.
In The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad, the first authoritative English-language biography of Azzam, author and noted jihadism expert Thomas Hegghammer does his best to answer this question and many more, cutting through the almost hagiographic nature Azzam's life (and death) has taken on within Islamist circles and the myths and mistruths that still permeate about him for much of the rest of us.
The culmination of more than a decade of work, Hegghammer's The Caravan traces the arc of a man who found himself on the precipice of some of the Middle East's most monumental events of the 20th century; events that, in part, would come to define the region and its environs.
The Caravan is more than simply a biography of Azzam, though. It's also an important overview of the Soviet-Afghan War of the 1980s, in particular the contribution Arab fighters – the so-called "Afghan Arabs" who Azzam was often referred to as the "Father" of – played in the conflict on the side of the Afghan Mujahideen and their role in the eventual outcome.
Without the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the waning days of 1979 and the brutal decade-long war that followed, one could theorize – as Hegghammer does – that Azzam would never have been more than a bit player in the Islamist movement, dedicated, certainly, but without ample opportunity. It was the war that became Azzam's passion and, ultimately, his legacy.
It was through his Services Bureau in Peshawar, the Pakistani garrison town, that Azzam would make a name for himself. He became the face of the foreign jihad in Afghanistan, raising money for the Mujahideen and rallying thousands of young Arabs to the cause, largely through a popular magazine his organization published and a seemingly endless number of speaking engagements throughout the world. Azzam was renowned as a gifted orator.
Peshawar of the time period, where a large bulk of The Caravan takes place, has often been described as being analogous to the bar scene from Star Wars and it rings true in Hegghammer's account. Everybody from al-Qaida's future leadership cadre to the recently converted Cat Stevens makes an appearance, not to mention a plethora of NGOs and spooks of many national persuasions. Consequently, Azzam finds himself surrounded by a veritable who's who of the fledgling international (and increasingly anti-Western) jihadi movement, one that would coalesce to have disastrous consequences in the years ahead, and one that the world is still grappling with on a near daily basis.
Perhaps the greatest enduring myth about Azzam is his ultimate demise. Assassinated in November 1989 in a bomb attack along with two of his sons, Azzam's death remains a mystery to this day. And while Hegghammer lists some compelling suspects, he readily admits we may never know with any degree of certainty.
It's in his death, especially, that Azzam's legacy has become twisted and convoluted to friend and foe alike. He's become a jihadist enigma. Because, as Hegghammer points out, we just don't know how Azzam would have reacted to the rise of international terrorism and its grotesque excesses of violence the world has witnessed with horror for so much of the 21st century.
To grasp the future of the modern jihadist movement, it's important to understand the tangled roots of its past. One cannot truly do so without tussling with Abdallah Azzam and the particular ideology he espoused. The Caravan is a great place to start.
March 18, 2021
I imagine many readers of this book will already know quite a lot about the subject. I, however - although I had heard the names Qutb and al-Banna, Hekmatyar and Haqqani, and knew a little about Afghan history - had never actually heard of Abdallah Azzam before. So, some thoughts from what I imagine might be an atypical reader:
Well, I enjoyed the book very much! Although most definitely an academic book, Hegghammer writes in a way that works also for those who were relatively blank about the subject before, like me. It is absolutely readable for the interested layman.
I like the way the author doesn't spend a lot of time condemning or moralising, although writing about a person who, one assumes, he doesn't have a lot of politics in common with. He describes rather than judges. 'Nøktern' description, is the Norwegian word which I can't think of a good English word for right now.
I find this book a good example of how a biography of a person can work brilliantly as an introduction to wider themes. The bits about Azzam's younger years were surprisingly interesting, as they told the story of the Israeli-Arab conflict from the viewpoint of this one individual, right up to Black September in Jordan, a fresh viewpoint. The author explains how Azzam's choices made sense for a deeply religious person such as he was. I am left wishing for more of an explanation of how Azzam came to be so deeply religious, especially as, the way I understand it, this made him fairly atypical for his generation in Palestine. But I suppose this would be very hard for the author to find out, even if Azzam were alive to explain it himself - which of course he isn't.
One of the interesting points I picked up from the book is how to resolve the seeming paradox of how the 'Afghan Arabs' became so hostile to America and the west despite the massive resources the US contributed to the Afghan resistance. The answer is that the Arab Jihadis - to a greater extent than the Afghans themselves - considered the American aid to be entirely self-serving, carrying out a nefarious plan to have Communists and Muslims fight and weaken each other.
All in all, a very interesting biography about one of the most important people I had never heard of before.
Well, I enjoyed the book very much! Although most definitely an academic book, Hegghammer writes in a way that works also for those who were relatively blank about the subject before, like me. It is absolutely readable for the interested layman.
I like the way the author doesn't spend a lot of time condemning or moralising, although writing about a person who, one assumes, he doesn't have a lot of politics in common with. He describes rather than judges. 'Nøktern' description, is the Norwegian word which I can't think of a good English word for right now.
I find this book a good example of how a biography of a person can work brilliantly as an introduction to wider themes. The bits about Azzam's younger years were surprisingly interesting, as they told the story of the Israeli-Arab conflict from the viewpoint of this one individual, right up to Black September in Jordan, a fresh viewpoint. The author explains how Azzam's choices made sense for a deeply religious person such as he was. I am left wishing for more of an explanation of how Azzam came to be so deeply religious, especially as, the way I understand it, this made him fairly atypical for his generation in Palestine. But I suppose this would be very hard for the author to find out, even if Azzam were alive to explain it himself - which of course he isn't.
One of the interesting points I picked up from the book is how to resolve the seeming paradox of how the 'Afghan Arabs' became so hostile to America and the west despite the massive resources the US contributed to the Afghan resistance. The answer is that the Arab Jihadis - to a greater extent than the Afghans themselves - considered the American aid to be entirely self-serving, carrying out a nefarious plan to have Communists and Muslims fight and weaken each other.
All in all, a very interesting biography about one of the most important people I had never heard of before.
March 26, 2022
This is a well-researched book and I learned a lot. My introduction to Abdullah Azzam was from hearing about him from brothers who'd been around in the 80's and this includes a few who served in the Afghan Campaign. As this was before my time, and things were rapidly changing due to the internet, Azzam wasn't a major figure for me. Although, in an era in the early 90's when not everyone was still online, I remember watching a VHS copy of the interview of Tamim al Adnani at a friend's house in St Louis. It wasn't until I picked up a copy of one of his books at the IANA convention in Dearborn, Michigan that I began to think about Azzam (albeit briefly). So, I say this to say, even though Azzam has come up here and there in books I've read, I'd only been exposed to popular narratives. I found the history of Azzam's upbringing, relationship with Al-Albaani and ibn Baz, views towards Sufi oriented Hanafis, and the diversity of the scene in Peshawar to be most interesting. In 2022, 21 years after 9-11, it's also mind-blowing to think Azzam went on US tours traveling widely, including to my hometown, but then I remember in the nineties similar figures, much lesser known, traveling here as well. Fascinating read.
May 15, 2020
Probably a 3.5* really, but they don’t give that option.
An excellent historical account with a great deal of detail that was painstakingly put together. Despite this being an absolute beast in its size, Hegghammer’s narrative is very easy to read and keeps you interested throughout, not something you usually expect of an academic.
Where the book falls down though is in the social science that Hegghammer presents. He takes a narrow period of history and extrapolates large conclusions from it, often in the absence of any real understanding of the sociology of violence.
A thorough and important account all the same, despite my reservations.
An excellent historical account with a great deal of detail that was painstakingly put together. Despite this being an absolute beast in its size, Hegghammer’s narrative is very easy to read and keeps you interested throughout, not something you usually expect of an academic.
Where the book falls down though is in the social science that Hegghammer presents. He takes a narrow period of history and extrapolates large conclusions from it, often in the absence of any real understanding of the sociology of violence.
A thorough and important account all the same, despite my reservations.
June 9, 2020
This book struck me as an authentic and well-written version of Abdullah Azzam's life. Readers will get an up-close feeling for what it was like to live among a conquered and oppressed people. Those who object to Arabic names should read Dr. Seuss.
March 29, 2021
There has been a lot written in the last twenty years about “global jihad,” although finding good analysis rather than rhetoric can be hard. Thomas Hegghammer does a great service with his latest book, “The Caravan,” which sheds light on a previously dim corner of the subject.
Part of the issue with the general Western understanding of political Islam and Islamic extremism is that there is a major disconnect between the material written (and being written) about it in Arabic and that available in English. Many works by men seen as “arch villains” in the West, such as Azzam and Sayyid Qutb, are widely read in Arabic as political philosophy, even by those whose views would not be seen as extreme. There is also a lot of material that is unavailable in English, limiting its influence on Western thinking, tough Hegghammer takes a major step in addressing that as well.
The Caravan is an expansive biography of Palestinian warrior-scholar-activist Abdullah Azzam. Known in the West primarily as a mentor to Osama bin Laden, his life and impact on Islamist thinking are much greater than that. Despite having been murdered in 1989, his works continue to influence extremists today, making understanding the man and his writing of continuing importance.
Hegghammer’s work is very detailed and extremely well cited, but at the same time, very readable. He weaves the heavy historical detail into a convincing story of a man whose life was dedicated to the idea of there being a duty to struggle against unbelief and injustice wherever in the world it might be. From growing up in the West Bank, to his involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood, and later as a leader and organizer of foreign volunteers in Afghanistan, Hegghammer details how Azzam’s thinking developed over the years.
Although scholars of the war in Afghanistan often refer to the presence of foreign fighters during the war against the Afghan Communist government and their Soviet backers, little has actually been written about the details of this aspect of the conflict. Steve Coll is one writer who has examined the issue, but as Azzam was one of the key organizers, Hegghammer’s work reveals how insignificant they really were in real terms.
Azzam is unusual in that he has been held up as an example of both moderate and extreme Islamism, seemingly fitted to the purpose needed by whoever is writing about him. Was he the extremist who laid the groundwork for Al Qaeda and who inspired the formation of the Islamic State? Or was he a moderate who tried to rein in Bin Laden and was eventually murdered for it? While Hegghammer does not have a neat answer to these questions, he shows the complexity of Azzam’s thinking, and how it evolved over time in response to events on the ground, giving the reader a better understanding of the true man.
Given that almost everything else written about Azzam is either hagiography or indictment, Hegghammer’s contribution is immensely important. Any serious student of Islamist extremism or the history of the Afghan conflict needs to read this book.
Part of the issue with the general Western understanding of political Islam and Islamic extremism is that there is a major disconnect between the material written (and being written) about it in Arabic and that available in English. Many works by men seen as “arch villains” in the West, such as Azzam and Sayyid Qutb, are widely read in Arabic as political philosophy, even by those whose views would not be seen as extreme. There is also a lot of material that is unavailable in English, limiting its influence on Western thinking, tough Hegghammer takes a major step in addressing that as well.
The Caravan is an expansive biography of Palestinian warrior-scholar-activist Abdullah Azzam. Known in the West primarily as a mentor to Osama bin Laden, his life and impact on Islamist thinking are much greater than that. Despite having been murdered in 1989, his works continue to influence extremists today, making understanding the man and his writing of continuing importance.
Hegghammer’s work is very detailed and extremely well cited, but at the same time, very readable. He weaves the heavy historical detail into a convincing story of a man whose life was dedicated to the idea of there being a duty to struggle against unbelief and injustice wherever in the world it might be. From growing up in the West Bank, to his involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood, and later as a leader and organizer of foreign volunteers in Afghanistan, Hegghammer details how Azzam’s thinking developed over the years.
Although scholars of the war in Afghanistan often refer to the presence of foreign fighters during the war against the Afghan Communist government and their Soviet backers, little has actually been written about the details of this aspect of the conflict. Steve Coll is one writer who has examined the issue, but as Azzam was one of the key organizers, Hegghammer’s work reveals how insignificant they really were in real terms.
Azzam is unusual in that he has been held up as an example of both moderate and extreme Islamism, seemingly fitted to the purpose needed by whoever is writing about him. Was he the extremist who laid the groundwork for Al Qaeda and who inspired the formation of the Islamic State? Or was he a moderate who tried to rein in Bin Laden and was eventually murdered for it? While Hegghammer does not have a neat answer to these questions, he shows the complexity of Azzam’s thinking, and how it evolved over time in response to events on the ground, giving the reader a better understanding of the true man.
Given that almost everything else written about Azzam is either hagiography or indictment, Hegghammer’s contribution is immensely important. Any serious student of Islamist extremism or the history of the Afghan conflict needs to read this book.
May 9, 2024
لقد أخذ الكتاب مني وقتاً طويلاً ربما حتى أنهيته ولكن كان الأمر يستحق ، لأنني كنت أدقق معظم المراجع و أسمع معظم الصوتيات التي أخذت منها المراجع أيضاً.
يمكنني القول بأن الكتاب غني جداً ، يتكلم عن حقبة مهمة جداً بتاريخ العالم العربي و أفغانستان ولا يشتمل فقط على عبدالله عزام كمجاهد ولا يمكننا أيضاً القول بأنها سيرة ذاتية محضة.
يفرد الكاتب ببراعة أوضاع العالم العربي عموماً و بلاد الشام خصوصاً في فترة ما بعد النكسة ، و تراجع النزعة الدينية في المجتمعات عموماً نتيجة قمع الشعوب و حكم العسكر ، و كيف انبثق من كل ذلك تيار ديني معاكس أقرب للتطرف ربما و لكنه يحمل على عاتقه أحلام عامة الشعب بدولة يسودها العدل بين أطراف الشعب و فئاته كافة.
يعيب الكتاب ربما ( برأيي الخاص) الخاتمة فقط فهي تحمّل الغرب فقط مسؤولية ما آلت إليه الأوضاع من تطرف و صعود للتيار الجهادي التكفيري ، بينما غاب عن ذهن الكاتب ربما ( عن غفلة لا عن قصد ) دور الحكومات الديكتاتورية العربية في تعزيز سردية المظلومية لدى التيار الإسلامي عموماً.
الترجمة كانت متميزة برأيي كما عودنا عبيدة عامر من ترجماته
الكتاب يعدّ مرجع هام برأيي و كفيل بإغناء أي مكتبة يحتويها
يمكنني القول بأن الكتاب غني جداً ، يتكلم عن حقبة مهمة جداً بتاريخ العالم العربي و أفغانستان ولا يشتمل فقط على عبدالله عزام كمجاهد ولا يمكننا أيضاً القول بأنها سيرة ذاتية محضة.
يفرد الكاتب ببراعة أوضاع العالم العربي عموماً و بلاد الشام خصوصاً في فترة ما بعد النكسة ، و تراجع النزعة الدينية في المجتمعات عموماً نتيجة قمع الشعوب و حكم العسكر ، و كيف انبثق من كل ذلك تيار ديني معاكس أقرب للتطرف ربما و لكنه يحمل على عاتقه أحلام عامة الشعب بدولة يسودها العدل بين أطراف الشعب و فئاته كافة.
يعيب الكتاب ربما ( برأيي الخاص) الخاتمة فقط فهي تحمّل الغرب فقط مسؤولية ما آلت إليه الأوضاع من تطرف و صعود للتيار الجهادي التكفيري ، بينما غاب عن ذهن الكاتب ربما ( عن غفلة لا عن قصد ) دور الحكومات الديكتاتورية العربية في تعزيز سردية المظلومية لدى التيار الإسلامي عموماً.
الترجمة كانت متميزة برأيي كما عودنا عبيدة عامر من ترجماته
الكتاب يعدّ مرجع هام برأيي و كفيل بإغناء أي مكتبة يحتويها
May 24, 2020
Excellent book!
July 6, 2020
একটা মানুষের জীবনি এবং তার পটভূমিতে রাজনৈতিক বিশ্লেষনও যে থ্রিলারের মত দ্রুত পড়ে ফেলা যায়- এই বইটা না পড়া হলে বুঝতে পারতাম না।
October 13, 2020
Heavy read, great research.
March 6, 2022
sedulous!
December 18, 2024
Wish I could give this a 4.5. It’s a great book that is fantastically researched and magnificently argued. However the narrative is dense and jumbled at times. Very well worth the read however.
November 16, 2025
مريحة فكرة أن الكتاب استحق عناء البحث عنه🤣
رهيب..
أخذ مني مدة طويلة للبحث عن المراجع والمصادر وهو بظني مرجع ثقيل في بابه
دافعي الأكبر فضولي تجاه هذه الشخصية، وكيف استطاعت أن تجمع حولها كل هذا الصيت واللغط المستمر حتى يومنا هذا
أيضا لا أنسى التأكيد على أن عبيدة مترجم رائع
رهيب..
أخذ مني مدة طويلة للبحث عن المراجع والمصادر وهو بظني مرجع ثقيل في بابه
دافعي الأكبر فضولي تجاه هذه الشخصية، وكيف استطاعت أن تجمع حولها كل هذا الصيت واللغط المستمر حتى يومنا هذا
أيضا لا أنسى التأكيد على أن عبيدة مترجم رائع
August 18, 2024
Thomas Hegghammer is a political scientist and historian who specialises in transnational jihadi groups. In this book, he interviewed Azzam's family, friends, and associates and built a detailed library of his works.
This book is well-structured and built on a solid evidence base with a broad range of references about Azzam and his time. There are chapters on each aspect of Azzam’s life and the cultural milieu that surrounded him. Hegghammer places him in context in the wider political and historical landscape. That said, it wasn’t an easy read, as I have little knowledge of Middle Eastern history, but Hegghammer made this very complex subject as clear and understandable as possible. It was a highly informative and crucial book for understanding how the global Islamist conflicts began.
Abdullah Azzam was a highly regarded Palestinian Muslim cleric who is most well-known for his work promoting Arab fighters to join the conflict in Afghanistan. He had some military experience, from fighting Isreal on the Jordanian border but it is his religious writings and speeches that had the stronger and lasting effect. He proposed a different ideology of jihad, where Muslims were expected to fight to defend the entire Islamic nation across borders rather than just in their own country and crucially he went on to develop the theory that this requirement superseded the laws or authority of their state.
Azzam expressed these theories to encourage fighters to come to Afghanistan from across the Middle East and beyond, especially the US, to fight against firstly the Soviets and then the communist Afghan government. He expressed that a fighter did not need to obey the laws of his country in fighting in these conflicts, as it was his duty to protect his fellow Muslims and the highest calling to engage with jihad and to achieve martyrdom.
He was assassinated in 1989 but his words still have a strong influence today, he is well remembered in Turkey for his admiration of the Ottoman Empire, which he saw as the Caliphate. He is referenced in the UK’s Prevent Scheme for anti-radicalism as an influence on Islamic extremism along with Sayyid Qutb. He was closely involved with Osama bin Laden and witnessed the founding of Al-Qaida. He was not a founder himself and as he died in the late 1980s he did not witness the rise of global terrorism, however Heggenhammer does illustrate how Azzam’s words and actions set the ideology in motion, and speculates with evidence from Azzam’s writings how his mind and outlook may have changed had he lived longer.
This book is highly recommended to those who want a greater understanding of the roots of the global transnational Islamist movement. It can also be contrasted with In the Wars by Dr Waheed Arian, who is from Afghanistan and grew up during the conflict spending much of their childhood in refugee camps in Pakistan and seeing the devastation wrought by the continued violence in his homeland.
This book is well-structured and built on a solid evidence base with a broad range of references about Azzam and his time. There are chapters on each aspect of Azzam’s life and the cultural milieu that surrounded him. Hegghammer places him in context in the wider political and historical landscape. That said, it wasn’t an easy read, as I have little knowledge of Middle Eastern history, but Hegghammer made this very complex subject as clear and understandable as possible. It was a highly informative and crucial book for understanding how the global Islamist conflicts began.
Abdullah Azzam was a highly regarded Palestinian Muslim cleric who is most well-known for his work promoting Arab fighters to join the conflict in Afghanistan. He had some military experience, from fighting Isreal on the Jordanian border but it is his religious writings and speeches that had the stronger and lasting effect. He proposed a different ideology of jihad, where Muslims were expected to fight to defend the entire Islamic nation across borders rather than just in their own country and crucially he went on to develop the theory that this requirement superseded the laws or authority of their state.
Azzam expressed these theories to encourage fighters to come to Afghanistan from across the Middle East and beyond, especially the US, to fight against firstly the Soviets and then the communist Afghan government. He expressed that a fighter did not need to obey the laws of his country in fighting in these conflicts, as it was his duty to protect his fellow Muslims and the highest calling to engage with jihad and to achieve martyrdom.
He was assassinated in 1989 but his words still have a strong influence today, he is well remembered in Turkey for his admiration of the Ottoman Empire, which he saw as the Caliphate. He is referenced in the UK’s Prevent Scheme for anti-radicalism as an influence on Islamic extremism along with Sayyid Qutb. He was closely involved with Osama bin Laden and witnessed the founding of Al-Qaida. He was not a founder himself and as he died in the late 1980s he did not witness the rise of global terrorism, however Heggenhammer does illustrate how Azzam’s words and actions set the ideology in motion, and speculates with evidence from Azzam’s writings how his mind and outlook may have changed had he lived longer.
This book is highly recommended to those who want a greater understanding of the roots of the global transnational Islamist movement. It can also be contrasted with In the Wars by Dr Waheed Arian, who is from Afghanistan and grew up during the conflict spending much of their childhood in refugee camps in Pakistan and seeing the devastation wrought by the continued violence in his homeland.
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