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The Mind of Terror
by Tass Saada with Dean Merrill ISBN-13: 9781496411877 Trade Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: July 1, 2016 |
Source: Review copy from the publisher.
Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
What motivates Islamic terrorists? What is in the mind of terror? Our news reports from the Middle East cover events--bombings, massacres, and suicide attacks. Our newscasters take time to explain who the players are--from Hezbollah to the Iranian Quds, from ISIS to the Palestinian National Authority. But there is something underneath these events and players that fuels atrocity after atrocity in the Middle East. What is it?
Tass Saada provides the answer to that question as he delves into the mind of terror, explaining what motivates extremist groups throughout the Middle East. A former Muslim and a onetime sniper with Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization, Tass has lived it himself. At age 42, he steered his life in a radical new direction, committing it to Jesus. Tass not only describes the motivations and aspirations of those who live in the Middle East, he also outlines a peaceful solution. We can plant seeds of hope that will transform not only the Middle East, but also our increasingly diverse neighborhoods at home.
My Review:
The Mind of Terror describes possible motives for terrorist activity, how people may respond, and how Christians can respond. The author (Tass Saada) was once a sniper for a terrorist group, so he knows firsthand what motivates terrorism. He provided a balanced, realistic view of people's motives and was sympathetic to certain reactions as being understandable even though they aren't desirable since they don't lead to a solution.
The author described the leading terrorist groups (which are not all Muslim) and the diversity of beliefs among Muslims. He explained how honor/shame cultures work and a variety of reasons why someone might become a terrorist. He looked at a number of ways that people respond to terrorism and explained why these reactions don't lead to peace.
He looked at verses in the Bible that Christians may not be aware of regarding Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac. Then he described a better way to respond and gave examples of people living out this better way. He looked at what motivates people to peace, how to earn the right to be heard, and what you can do (even if terrorists seem outside of your influence). I'd highly recommend this book.
If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.
Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.
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1 comment:
His view on Israel I believe to be false and under biblical. When he talks about possible solutions he mentions how Jews no longer have a right to the promise Land. This statement is so blatantly against scriptureach and you can see how his views are quite tainted by this falsehood. Genesis 17 clearly states that the covenant with Abraham and his descendants is an EVERLASTING covenant.
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