W/hundreds of extensively annotated footnotes for evidence.
http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/micene.html
The Enemy of My Enemy
The Alarming Convergence of Militant Islam and the Extreme Right
George Michael
April 2006
368 pages, 6-1⁄8 x 9-1⁄4
Cloth ISBN 978-0-7006-1444-8, $34.95 (t)
In the violent world of radical extremists, "the enemy of my enemy is
my friend." In this provocative study, George Michael reveals how that
precept plays out in the unexpected bonding between militant Islam and
the extreme right in America and Europe.
At first glance these two groups would seem to share little if any
common ground. Why would various neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, white
separatists, and antigovernment radicals find themselves attracted to
movements such as Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Egyptian Islamic
Jihad? After all, the extreme right's racist and radical Christian
segments tend to deride and exclude all nonwhites and non-Christians,
while Islamic fundamentalists angrily denounce all non-Muslims,
especially Americans, as infidels. Nevertheless, as Michael shows,
they have developed strikingly similar critiques on such issues as
American foreign policy, the media, modernity, and the New World
Order.
The first book to focus on the growing linkage between these two
movements, The Enemy of My Enemy analyzes the histories and ideologies
guiding these disparate groups, clarifies the nature of their mutual
appeal, and shows how the Internet and globalization have made
increased interaction possible. Michael notes that one particularly
dominant thread running throughout both camps is a fervent
anti-Semitism, accompanied by strong pro-Palestinian views, anger over
Israel's influence on American policymakers, and opposition to the
Iraq War and the U.S. presence in the Middle East.
Michael also speculates on how the so-called War on Terror might
unfold if this unexpected and alarming convergence grows stronger.
While the thought of Americans assisting or fighting alongside Islamic
militants—in America—sounds utterly far-fetched, Michael points out
that some members of the extreme right have publicly expressed
admiration for Al Qaeda's audacious attacks on 9/11.
Daring to consider the unthinkable, Michael provides an insightful and
sane look at the possibilities for collaboration between these groups
and raises a quiet but clear alarm for anyone concerned about
America's future.
"A detailed and reliable study of a neglected topic—the
rapprochment, ideological as well as political, between extremists on
the American right and Islamist extremists. It is widely believed that
because of the racism and the xenophobia of the former and the
anti-Christian attitudes of the latter such
a convergence is well nigh impossible, but as the author shows,
'the enemy of my enemy is [still] my friend.'"--Walter Laqueur, author
of A History of Terrorism
"A fascinating and authoritative book about a threat that has been
ignored by most terrorism experts."--Christopher Hewitt, author of
Understanding Terrorism in America: From the Klan to Al Qaeda and
Political Violence in Modern America
GEORGE MICHAEL is assistant professor of political science and
administration of justice at the University of Virginia's College at
Wise and the author of Confronting Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism
in the USA.
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