title: Holy terror: Inside the world of Islamic terrorism
author:  Amir Taheri 
description: Based on interviews, field studies and internal literature, this is a blunt survey of the history, goals and influence of Islamic fundamentalism, particularly its Iran-based terroristic dimension. Khomeini is presented as one of history's great haters, a charismatic leader whose enmity is directed at all but the strictest adherents to his Manichean interpretations of the Koran. Images of blood and death abound: the Tower of Blood, a shrine in Tehran, is characterized by a guide as "the essence of Islam's message." The book includes descriptions of the organization and training of such groups as the Brides of Blood and the Volunteers for Martyrdom. Taheri calls the Ayatollah's Holy Terror "little more than a hodgepodge of medieval thought and methods borrowed from fascism and communism" and scathingly remarks that death is its highest and noblest goal since it is unable to offer a life worth living. Taheri is the author of The Spirit of Allah. <br />Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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  ISLAMIC STATE PRACTICES, INTERNATIONAL LAW
  
  
  AND THE THREAT FROM TERRORISM
  
  
  In the post ‘9/11’ legal and political environment, Islam and Muslims have
  been associated with terrorism. Islamic civilisation has increasingly been
  characterised as backward, insular, stagnant and unable to deal with the
  demands of the twenty-first century and differences and schisms between Islam
  and the west are being perceived as monumental and insurmount-able. The 9/11
  terrorist attacks have unfortunately provided vital ammunition to the critics
  of Islam and those who champion a ‘clash of civilisations’.
  
  
  In this original and incisive study, the author investigates the relationship
  between Islamic law, State practices and international terrorism. It presents
  a detailed analysis of the sources of Islamic law and reviews the concepts of
  Jihad, religious freedom and minority rights within Sharia and Siyar. In
  eradicating existing misconceptions, the book provides a thorough commentary
  of 